44. Who Am I?
44. Who Am I?
Atlas's mood seemed exceptionally good today.
Even his usual expression was different.
To me, who had observed him often, it was unmistakable.
He usually wore a blank face or a faintly sulky expression, but recently he'd been walking around with smiling eyes, as if he was in a good mood.
Sometimes he even hummed a little tune or whistled.
He was already small, so doing that made him look rather like a fairy.
He'd said this morning in front of the tree that he grew about 0.1... he must have been that happy about it.
Lately, the number of times I spoke to him had increased.
Atlas normally spent a lot of time with Amy Parker and Liber Simore, but since the two of them were hospitalized until next week, he'd been on his own recently.
Before that, the pattern was that Atlas would come find me first, or I would speak to him when the other two weren't around.
It wasn't that I disliked them, but they were people I had no personal interaction with.
Atlas was my friend, but they were friends of my friend.
When the three of them were together, I was too nervous to speak up readily.
Judging by how Atlas hung around with them, they were definitely good people.
He seemed to have quite picky standards when it came to befriending people, after all.
And that was probably why, even though he allowed Phrygia to hover around him, he kept her from getting too close...
Both of them pretended on the surface that there was nothing between them, but just a little observation quickly revealed that they shared some kind of connection.
But I, who had almost never formed a proper friendship, was still afraid to be the one to speak first.
Atlas and I were moving to another classroom together for our next class, Introduction to Combat Magic Theory.
"Atlas, the Combat Magic Theory report... did you finish it without any trouble? I find magic really difficult... I managed to finish it somehow, but I'm not sure if I did it right..."
"I put it off for three days, then downed a glass of warm milk last night and finished it in an hour."
Even as one of the Five Pillars, she was still just a student.
She always had to strive for good grades so as not to shame her family name.
I couldn't speak for other families... but House Russell had consistently focused on sword-related classes, so things like this were extremely difficult for her.
"In an hour... that's amazing."
This report was difficult, yet he finished it in just an hour...
Come to think of it, Atlas was skilled in swordsmanship, but I'd never seen him struggle with anything related to other classes.
"Well, I'm not gunning for top marks like you guys, so I just got it done fast. That vicious Buckingham really made this report brutal."
"The topic was... analyzing the Battle of Crea Basin and writing what should have been done..."
The Battle of Crea Basin was a real battle in the Empire's history.
It was one of the few battles where the Empire suffered a crushing defeat, so it was frequently brought up. This Introduction to Combat Magic Theory report assignment was to analyze that battle and write about what could have been done better.
However, the focus had to be on the mage corps, not the infantry or the knight order.
- Just raise a hundred Masters before the battle starts and sweep them away?
- My family's ancestor, Count Paleon, said he never lost a single battle at that age. I strongly condemn the Imperial Household for failing to deploy him to that battle.
- Can't you just drop a Meteor and win?
- What if someone put a knife to the Emperor's throat and threatened him to fight there? If you don't fight, you don't get defeated, right?
That kind of nonsense wouldn't fly.
We had to write focusing on where the mage corps' position should have been and what magic should have been used, so from my perspective, having studied mainly swordsmanship, it was extremely difficult.
Atlas always said he just needed to graduate, so he half-assed everything.
But no matter the topic, the fact that he submitted assignments quickly without getting stuck still seemed impressive.
No one thought it was strange that Atlas and I were walking together.
That was because rumors had spread everywhere after the Newspaper Club Raid Incident that he had come under House Russell's protection.
When the two of us walked side by side, I could see the top of his head if I just slightly lowered my gaze.
Seeing that soft-looking golden sphere, which seemed to fit perfectly in one hand, moving around made me want to stroke it badly, but I kept the thought to myself and restrained myself.
Because he would definitely hate it.
I recalled what happened this morning.
When Atlas, jumping with joy, had hugged me and spun me around, I had briefly hugged him back.
Since he was the one lifting me, the height difference meant I only lightly hugged his shoulders, but the feeling of him tucking right in was incredibly endearing.
It was only for a moment, but I had been really happy.
A sudden thought popped into my head.
He seems to be in a good mood right now, so maybe he'd allow it...?
"Hey... Atlas."
"What?"
"Your hair... can I pet it..?"
I accidentally blurted it out.
He would surely frown slightly and say absolutely not.
"Sure. But only until we get to the classroom."
"... Oh, well, can't be helped.."
There was no way he'd allow it.
Atlas, who was so sensitive about his short stature, didn't like actions that emphasized the height difference between him and me.
Things like hugging or petting his hair got an immediate warning.
He let it slide as a joke up to the point of just saying you wanted to do it without actually doing it, but he was appalled if you actually tried.
But what he just said sounded strange...?
"Huh..? I think I misheard... you said it's okay?"
"Yeah."
Just what kind of change of heart had happened?
Atlas grabbed my hand and placed it on his head.
"But only until we arrive at the classroom."
"Okay..!"
I carefully moved the hand that was placed on his head.
Atlas had good proportions, so his head was as small as his height was short.
The texture of the shimmering golden hair covering his head was so soft.
When I was young, while training, I sometimes petted the puppies being raised nearby, and it felt like that.
I gently stroked the soft hair that filled my hand.
Normally, even if he didn't vocalize his displeasure, his eyebrows would be slightly furrowed in anger, but right now he was completely serene.
I fervently prayed that this state of Atlas, where he seemed to find everything in the world joyful, would last a long time.
Next time, I should try the hug he refused last time.
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The world looked beautiful.
Was it because I had finally found a proper lead?
Things I normally would have refused, words that would have been unpleasant, all sounded positive now.
My current mood was... yeah, like I had been drilling through an endless dark tunnel and finally saw the light toward the exit.
No matter what unpleasant thing happened, I just thought about how I grew taller today, and a grin broke out again.
Since I was smiling so much, I seemed to naturally become a positive person.
This must be why they say position makes the man.
Who am I...? The 149.6 man.
The miracle man who broke through the wall of 149.5, where he'd been stuck for ten years, and now had only 0.4 left to the ominous wall of 150.
Now that one wall had been breached, it might pick up speed from here.
What if I took the potion this time and shot straight up to 180?
For example...
"Atlas... is it okay if I pet your hair...?"
"Sure."
Something like getting my hair petted, I could accept it as much as they wanted.
"Phrygia has decided to hold a small party, and I think it could be an even more special and enjoyable time if you, Atlas-nim, would join us."
"Let me know once the time is set, I'll review it positively."
"Yes?! Really??"
The reason I hated events where people gathered, like parties, was that I hated it when they gathered and talked about my height as a flaw.
But if I grow taller, that kind of whispering will disappear... so then there's no reason to refuse a party.
From now on, I'm going to shoot right up.
"Atlas, duel me...!!"
"Sure, why not~"
I even accepted Edgar Rhemnos's duel request.
I thought he'd train for another three months or so before coming, but what change of heart was this...?
I decided to properly set a date later.
I reviewed positively everything all sorts of people came up to me and said.
For a few of them, I wondered if I should have answered that way, but well, whatever.
Who am I?
The man who broke through 0.1...!
"Are you the rumored halfling freshman..!! You sure were good at treating our club members like cute little things last time! I, the senior member of the Swordsmanship Research Club...!!"
"I cannot forgive a discourteous person."
-Ppak!!!
I kicked the shin of the man who had started blabbering in front of me, rendering him unable to stand on two feet.
"Gyaaaak!!!!! M.. my leg!!!"
No matter what, I couldn't be kind to a rude bastard.
"Senior head member! You attacked him while he was still talking, you coward!!"
"I'm in a really good mood today, so if you get lost now, I'll let you off. Go."
"Urgh... You'll see!!!"
A few others beside him looked ready to jump in too, but when I said I'd let them off, they scrambled away, dragging their bulky bodies.
Today's classes were wrapping up soon, so I should go visit Liber and Amy in the hospital.
------------------------
I came for a visit and found Liber grumbling while looking at the shelf in the hospital room.
"Atlas, it's nice that you bring gifts every time you come, but isn't it a bit too much now..?"
"These are just lying around on the back mountain. Don't feel burdened."
On the shelf, flowers, fruits, medicinal herbs, and such were piled up.
All the fragrant-looking flowers were varieties that could be drunk as tea, and the medicinal herbs were all ones good for their symptoms, as well as herbs I'd had in mind that would help with Liber's power-up.
This was actually a lot less than before.
The medicinal herbs were to be consumed later, so I left them, and we'd already brewed the ones good for tea a few times.
Hmm... had I really brought a lot?
"That back mountain you mentioned... could it be what's called the Black Forest?"
"You know it well."
"Do you know how dangerous that place is... stop going there now."
"Is that worry?"
"Of course it is. They say every year, people go into the Black Forest to gather rare materials and end up getting into accidents."
As it turned out, this was the kind of worry I got to hear.
But since Liber was genuinely worried about me, I was grateful.
"You seem to be in a really good mood today. Are you that happy we're here?"
"There's no way that's it. Right, come to think of it, you guys wouldn't know yet..."
Come to think of it, after I left yesterday saying I had something to discuss with Professor Praha, they wouldn't know what had happened to me.
"Hehe... You see, I grew taller."
"Really?"
"Is that true?? How much did you grow?"
Liber and Amy were surprised at the same time.
Since both of them knew how much importance I placed on my height, they must have been even more surprised.
"Yeah, don't be too shocked, but I grew by a whopping 0.1."
"0.1... I see..."
Their reaction felt a little underwhelming.
They must have thought a figure like 0.1 was no big deal... but they didn't realize how huge this was.
"You might think that's all it is, but it's a change after ten years..."
"Is that why you went out together with Professor Praha yesterday after the examination?"
"Yeah, they're analyzing the cause of why I wasn't growing, so once that's resolved...!! I'll shoot right up according to my genes too..."
"I see, I'll be rooting for you."
Liber had a slightly peculiar reaction upon hearing the figure 0.1, but the support he just voiced sounded sincere.
"Ha... I'm a little afraid of this 'Rapid Growth,' growing as much as 0.1 in a single day... Hey, by next week when you two are discharged, will you even be able to recognize me..?"
I folded my arms and laughed freely.
For some reason, the two were looking at me with extremely pitying eyes, but I didn't care.
As long as I was in a good mood, that was all that mattered.
Professor Praha's regular checkup would come up soon enough.
When it was over, I'd go to the lab and drink the completed second dose.
If it was effective again this time... no, it would be effective.
Mental state was an important factor, too.
Let's always think positively.
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After Atlas had left,
"He's acting like that just because he grew 0.1? He seems genuinely happy."
"He said it's a change after ten years... it's understandable that he'd be emotional."
"From what I heard, he grew after drinking some medicine that professor made... what if it doesn't work from the second dose onward?"
"Hey, no way."
"Right? Surely that wouldn't happen...?"