A Fortunate Day (1)
"Vern, don't we just need to buy potions? Do we really have to get bandages and things like that?"
"It's for emergencies."
"?"
"You look like you don't understand. Recovery potions draw on the life force inside our bodies to heal us."
"I know that much."
"Unlike holy power, potions have clear limits. They're not all-powerful."
"But we could just use high-grade potions. Ah... they're expensive, so maybe this isn't a bad choice?"
"...."
If she put it that way, I had nothing to say. In truth, Elisha was right. High-grade potions matched the healing power of holy magic. Their performance was excellent, but so was their price. With what I was earning now, they were far out of reach. Well, by the late game or on a second playthrough, I could buy them freely. The catch was the usage limit. Honestly, it would be strange if there wasn't one. If you could recover stamina endlessly, where would the fun in the game be?
Of course, there were plenty of ways to heal without potions. The holy power used by saints and priests was one of the most representative healing skills. There were also vampiric skills and items, but I rarely used them. Their effects weren't particularly strong, and they didn't deal much damage either. Still, the vampiric items looked stylish, so I occasionally used them for the appearance.
Anyway, preparing for the worst was important. If things truly went to the absolute worst, low-grade potions and bandages would be useless. Even so, carrying them around couldn't hurt.
With that in mind, I gathered low-grade potions, bandages, disinfectant, and other supplies. I already had lanterns and other tools, so this much would suffice. I placed everything I'd chosen on the counter.
"That'll be 450,000 coins."
"Understood."
I handed over several gold coins I'd taken from my pocket.
"Exact change. You're good to go."
"I'll stop by again next time."
"Take care."
"See you later, black-haired kid and the lady."
Just as we were about to leave the shop—
—Ding
I ran into someone at the entrance. The man who opened the door and stepped inside had the same black hair as me. The difference was his deep green eyes.
"Is the owner here? Owner—"
Maybe he recognized me because of the matching hair color. Given how the practical training incident had spread even to Walter, the protagonist probably knew about my existence. Or perhaps he'd heard the bad rumors about me.
I tried to pass by him with Elisha, but he extended a hand.
"Vern Flame, correct? A pleasure to meet you. My name is Ian."
I was a little surprised, but there was no reason to ignore his handshake, so I accepted it.
"I know. You're the new transfer student, right?"
"Yes. By the way, I owe you a great deal from the last practical training. Lady Elisha as well."
"Indeed. It's been a while since then, Ian."
After that, the conversation died. We weren't close to begin with, and we had no reason to meet again. This awkwardness was only natural.
That said, Ian was carrying something strange at his waist. A sword that gave off an eerie aura hung there. It was a blade with an overall dark reddish glow. I'd never seen a sword like that while playing the game. Was it an item I didn't know about? If it was a hidden piece I was unaware of, that would explain why the protagonist was noticeably stronger than in the early game.
What kind of sword was it? The design was impressive, and the edge was razor-sharp. With that, he could probably slice through most monsters in no time.
While I was thinking about his sword, Elisha, who had been quiet beside me, spoke up.
"Well, if you have no business with us, we'll be on our way. We have somewhere to be."
"Ah, my apologies. I must have interrupted your date."
"D-D-Date?! W-What are you saying?! And you've been going on about that since earlier... as if I'd ever go on a date with this blunt, rude guy!"
She really hated the idea that much? I understood being annoyed at being mistaken for a couple, but still... that stung a little.
Anyway—
"We'll be going, then. And Ian, you don't need to use formal speech with me. We're fellow students."
"Yes. Ah, no, that's not right. Right, I was glad to meet you too."
"...Before we go, let me ask one thing. Didn't you hear the rumors about me?"
Ian shook his head at my question.
"No, I know all about them. But I don't believe rumors like that. I don't think you should judge someone based on hearsay without meeting them first."
"I see."
"That's why I wanted to meet you in person."
"...."
"Now that I've met you, I can tell. You're not a bad person. During the practical training, you carried an injured friend on your back, right? And you went around rescuing people on the mountain too."
"...."
"Thanks to you gathering everyone, we were able to resolve things quickly. Thank you, Vern."
As he spoke, he bowed his head in gratitude.
"I only did what needed to be done."
"W-Wait, I'm coming too! Vern!"
With that, I stepped outside with Elisha.
"Quite the interesting fellow."
Still, it was a relief. Now that I'd met him directly, he really did seem like a good guy.
That sword, though. What exactly was it? It almost felt... alive.
While I was thinking about the protagonist Ian, Elisha poked my arm and spoke up.
"By the way, Vern, what was that line? 'I only did what needed to be done.' Pfft."
She laughed with a playful tone.
"Don't say weird things and just take this."
She accepted something from me.
"Huh? A knife? You don't even have much money."
"Carry it with you. Public safety hasn't been great lately."
"You're worried about me? Puhaha. Never thought I'd live to see the day you'd worry about me. Thanks, Vern."
It might have been my imagination, but her expression looked the happiest it had all day. Was she that pleased to receive a gift? If I'd known, maybe I should have saved up more to buy her something better.
"Anyway, let's head back to the dorm now."
"Eh? Already?"
"It's already past one. We should—"
"...."
"We should... at least eat something before going."
"Yeah! Let's do that!"
Wait, for a second there my spine felt cold. Must have been my imagination. The girl who'd been smiling so beautifully just moments ago suddenly went dead serious. Something... something felt off.
I wasn't particularly hungry, but it couldn't be helped. Might as well eat before heading back.
....
"As expected, you can't trust rumors. Right, Reed?"
【I wouldn't know.】
"Then you just have a bad eye for people."
【What? You want to fight barehanded?】
"Just kidding, kidding."
A black-haired young man walking down the street and talking to himself. People around him began to murmur.
"Who is that guy talking to?"
"Is he crazy?"
"Let's just go. These days, there are plenty of students driven mad by assignments."
"Tsk tsk, at such a young age already..."
"Hey, you don't have the right to say that, do you? Hurry up and follow me!"
"Ah, got it."
Still, he looked perfectly normal. No, with a face that handsome, what could possibly be lacking to end up like this? Academy students really were a mystery. Maybe you had to be crazy to get in, or maybe you went crazy after enrolling. Hang in there, young students! —encouragement from a passing citizen.
....
"Ah~ That was delicious."
"Then let's head back to the dorm."
"No, what's so great about the dorm? Why are you so desperate to go back?"
"...."
"Vern, don't push yourself so hard. You can rest on a day like today."
"...."
"Or is this because of Shady? Honestly, I can't even with you."
"No, how did you even live without showing kindness to others when you used to be enemies until yesterday?" she said. As she spoke, she clung to me and looked up. Her expression was playful, and she looked incredibly seductive.
But—
—Thwack!
"Gah!"
"You're too close, Elisha."
"Ugh... That hurt."
"Then let's just buy some snacks and head back—"
Just as we bought snacks and were about to return to the dorm—
—!!!
A tremendous explosion erupted outside. The blast was accompanied by ringing in my ears.
What the—? I stepped out of the shop to find the source of the explosion. The street was filled with countless people who had come out, just like me. Everyone was staring in the direction of the blast.
As the explosion gradually subsided, the crowd began to stir.
"An explosion, just like that?"
"Did a fire break out?!"
"Could it be... terrorism?"
"Nah, no way..."
"Wait, isn't that near the city gate?"
"What in the world is going on?"
While I was looking around to assess the situation, Elisha approached.
"Vern! What the heck is this...!"
"...."
—Drip, drip
Dark clouds gathered in the once-clear sky. The bright sun vanished, and rain began to fall.
—Whoosh
Damn it. So reality really was different from the game. I'd thought that subduing Shady would cancel today's plan, but my prediction was wrong. Even without their key member Shady, they were still going through with it.
As I stared up at the raining sky, Elisha spoke.
"Did Shady betray us?!"
"No, that's not it."
Shady would be lying quietly on the sofa thanks to the Soul Oath. Even without the oath, she wouldn't cooperate with the organization that had abandoned her. So it wasn't Shady. Then was Naidus acting on his own? Draw everyone's attention to the city gate, then steal the sealed grimoire inside the academy? No, the sealed grimoire wasn't the target. Since the seal was still intact, they couldn't take it now. So what were they after?
"Elisha, I'm heading to the academy first."
"Vern! Do you know something?"
"I have an idea. So you gather people and evacuate them."
"No, I'm coming with you. You're too exhausted right now. Vern, you don't have to carry everything alone, so... let's go together."
"...Fine. Let's go together."
Act 1 was not over yet.