Resolution
“Elisha, that’s as much of the story as I can tell you.”
“Y-yeah...”
“......”
A heavy silence settled between us. I had just explained why I had been avoiding her all this time. Why I had no choice but to break the engagement. Why I had tried to push her away. I couldn’t reveal everything, so I shared all that I possibly could without crossing the line.
But the shock seemed to have struck her hard. She offered no reply, only nodding faintly. Then, at last, she opened her tightly closed lips.
“Vern, give me a moment to think. Can you leave me alone?”
“As you wish.”
I closed the bedroom door and stepped into the living room. Shady was crouched on the sofa like it belonged to her, while Elisha had shut herself inside, overwhelmed by the revelation. Both of them were in rough shape. Only yesterday they had been trying to kill each other, yet now one had claimed the sofa as her personal territory and the other had driven me from the room so she could think in peace.
What kind of mess is this?
Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.
Outside the window, the rain continued to pour without end. The atmosphere was already heavy, and the weather only made it worse.
“How dreary.”
There was nothing I could do about it. The story must have been incredibly shocking for her. I understood completely. If someone I had known for years turned out to be the hidden mastermind, even I would be stunned.
Jeron Flame, current head of the Flame family. Far too many details about him remained unsolved, but a few critical pieces had finally clicked into place. To the public, he projected an image of benevolence and warmth. Those around him held him in high regard, viewing him as a father who had struggled alone to raise a problem child like Vern after losing his wife. A war hero with formidable strength, good character, and an excellent reputation. If not for the single blemish named Vern Flame, he would have been nearly perfect.
If a man like that had touched the taboo...
I would think about that later. For now, I needed rest. I had barely slept since yesterday evening. It was an awkward hour for proper sleep, so I simply sat in a chair and tried to relax.
“Haa...”
I should organize what I needed to do today. The shop opened at six, so I would stop by and buy a few potions. I also had to inform the club members that the club had been officially established and tell them the location of the club room. And I needed to keep Silia close at all times, essentially placing her under my protection. The word “protect” sounded ridiculous coming from me, but staying by her side was the only way to react instantly if danger found her.
Act 2 began in early summer when the weather grew hot, so we still had some time. Yet this recent incident had taught me one clear lesson: the story could change at any moment, in any place. That meant I needed to start raising Silia’s favorability toward me right away. She seemed to dislike me, but steady effort might change that.
Anyway. With Act 1 over, only minor events should occur for a while. That gave me some breathing room. Now was the perfect time to focus on growth. In that case, it had been a while since I last checked my stats. Let’s take a look.
Status window.
Name: Vern Flame
Age: 18
Occupation: Student (Year 2)
Title: None
Race: Human
Traits:
《Mana Amplification》: Amplifies mana.
《Blue Flame》: All fire-attribute skills are converted into blue flames and their power is enhanced.
Stamina: 10(+2)
Strength: 4
Technique: 7
Agility: 6
Mana: 10(+2)
Skills:
《Grit》: Once per day, fully restores all stamina and mana.
Remaining Stats: 15
Equipped Accessory: 《Grace of Nature》 (Epic)
Oh, I had gained fifteen remaining stat points. Did neutralizing Shady count as defeating a boss? Since she was the first boss, the system must have been generous with the rewards. Fine by me.
Time to allocate them.
Stamina: 10(+2) → 17(+3)
Technique: 7 → 10
Mana: 10(+2) → 15(+3)
Yeah, this felt reasonable. Technique raised proficiency with both magic and swordplay, while mana needed no explanation. Stamina increased my fundamental endurance, so investing in it was always wise. This should at least solve my pathetic constitution problem.
Compared to when I had first possessed this body, I had grown considerably. But it still wasn’t enough. I was growing steadily, yet I had only just stepped up to the starting line. With my current stats, I could never defeat the enemies waiting ahead. I had beaten Shady by luck. I couldn’t count on that kind of fortune again.
The protagonist and his companions, along with the other named characters, would continue to grow stronger. More powerful foes would appear to block their path, but the protagonist would overcome them all. My role was to handle my own tasks from the shadows. I was neither the protagonist nor anyone special. I simply needed to protect the people around me.
Yet to protect them, I had to become strong. If I remained weak, I would lose them. I had to grow stronger. For survival. For protection. I had no other choice.
“Hoo...”
Growing stronger was good. The problem was that physical training had its limits. I would continue practicing mana control, but eventually I would hit a wall. That left only one path remaining...
—Bang!
“?”
I had been sitting in the chair, lost in thought about life, when the firmly closed door flew open with a violent crash. The one who burst out was Elisha, her silver hair swaying. She was wearing one of my shirts, which was far too large for her.
She looked straight at me.
“Vern! I’ve decided! I will…!”
She seemed ready to declare something important, but I had to say my piece first.
“Elisha, don’t slam the door like that. You’ll break it.”
If it broke, I would have to pay for the repairs. At my words, she blinked and muttered, “Ah, sorry,” then cleared her throat and pointed at me.
“Anyway, Vern. At first I couldn’t believe what you said. But I know you’re not the kind of person who would say such things lightly. Now I understand all your past behavior and words. So…”
“So?”
“So… I, at least, will believe in you and follow you…!!”
“I see. Thank you.”
“Y-yeah.”
It was a relief that she understood. Even if she hadn’t, I would have respected her choice. But to hear that she would believe in me and stay by my side… Well, it didn’t erase the things Vern or I had done. Still, for such a kind and beautiful person to trust me was something I was truly grateful for.
As that thought crossed my mind, she suddenly flinched.
“Huh? Vern, did you just smile?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Really…? Maybe I saw wrong…?”
At any rate, I had gained a reliable ally. The only person who truly understood my current situation. Speaking of which, I had been meaning to say something earlier but couldn’t because of her serious expression. I pointed at her clothes.
“Elisha. Your clothes.”
“Clothes? What about them?”
“......”
“......”
She looked down at herself. Her face instantly turned the color of a erupting volcano. Steam seemed to rise from the top of her head like a kettle left on the fire. Was that phenomenon even physically possible?
While I was still marveling at this supernatural occurrence, she exploded.
“Y-you… you pervert!!!”
—Bang!
She slammed the door again and vanished back into the room. I really wished she would stop handling the door like that…
…Should I just let the earlier favor cancel this one out?
As I was reaching that internal compromise, I suddenly felt a gaze on me and turned my head. Shady, still crouched on the sofa, was staring directly at me.
“......”
What? What do you want me to say? That was an accident. She had been buried under the blanket earlier, so I hadn’t noticed. You were the one who dressed her. Why are you looking at me like that? I saved your life when you were on the verge of death, and this is the thanks I get?
Hey, that really was an accident!
She kept staring for a moment, then abruptly turned her head away and buried her face in her knees.
Unbelievable.
It’s not like I wanted to see anything. The shirt was so big it covered everything anyway. Whatever. I should let Elisha know.
I spoke toward the closed door.
“There should be pants in the closet. Put those on at least.”
“I-I’m fine, okay?! Don’t talk to me, you idiot!!”
She sounded thoroughly upset. Still, I had to say it.
“Elisha, it’s almost time for class. Shouldn’t you return to your room and get ready?”
“I told you not to talk to me!”
But my clothes were in there too… In that case, we could head out a little later than usual.
Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.
The rain showed no sign of stopping, pouring down endlessly. As I gazed outside in a leisurely mood, a knock came from the front door.
Knock. Knock.
“Who could that be at this hour? Shady, is it someone from Requiem?”
She lifted her buried face, made a sullen expression for a moment, then answered.
“…No. Just a normal person.”
With that, she buried her face again. It felt like her entire personality had changed in a single day. Was she like this in the original story too? At least it was confirmed not to be Requiem. That left only the maids assigned to each dormitory. Why had one come here?
Full of questions, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. There stood a servant wearing a classic maid uniform complete with frills. The maid looked at me and spoke.
“I apologize for visiting so early in the morning.”
“It’s fine. What brings you here?”
“I am delivering the message to everyone. Today’s classes have been canceled.”
“What do you mean?”
“I cannot provide full details, but due to the unfortunate incident that occurred last night, there will be no classes today.”
“I see.”
“Yes. The heavy rain today factored into the decision as well. The academy has instructed all students to rest in their dormitories. Classes will resume tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
“Yes. I hope you have a comfortable day.”
So we had the day off. The “unfortunate incident” clearly referred to what happened yesterday. Still, didn’t the academy cancel classes a bit too often? Thanks to Shady, I had gained an entire free day. Maybe I should just get some sleep.