Hospital Visit (2)
The friends I'd made until now had all gathered in one place, exchanging greetings and striking up conversations. Ron, Lloyd, and Ian. The three of them came over to my side and launched into their own stories. Elisha, Elin, Lucy, and Celia had moved a little farther away because of the trio, huddled together and chatting among themselves. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but from the occasional snippets that drifted over, it sounded like they were bickering again. Still, after running into each other so often these past few days, they seemed to have grown closer. Same-gender friends tend to hit it off quickly, after all. Even if Elisha and Celia didn't look like they got along particularly well. Kids usually become friends while fighting. Even if they're grumbling at each other now, they'll definitely end up as good friends. Good. This is a very welcome development.
Elin had escaped the bullying and seemed to be doing better, but I'd been worried about Lucy and Celia not having any friends. Seeing those four gathered together and talking eased my mind. 'Looks like a good scene.'
While I was listening to the chatter beside me, everyone brought over chairs from somewhere, arranged them around my bed, and started eating fruit while continuing their conversations. Well, they couldn't stand around forever. At this rate, they'd probably stay here for a while before heading out. But it wasn't a bad feeling. This lively atmosphere.
"So Ron and I were facing this massive wolf—"
"L-Lloyd… that was you who took it down by yourself…"
"We split that wolf clean in half and finished it off! I really thought we were dead back then! But if we hadn't had each other's backs, we'd have been goners for sure! Khahaha!"
"You two are seriously impressive. Risking your lives for your comrade like that. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Ian, the new transfer student."
"Oh! So that was you? Then let me ask you one thing. Is it true you cleared a 3rd-grade dungeon all by yourself?"
While quietly munching on the apple Elisha had peeled for me, I listened to the trio's conversation. Even I found myself getting curious about that.
As I silently took in their stories from the side—
"Yeah. But it wasn't something I overcame with my own strength alone."
What was that supposed to mean? Hadn't he cleared it solo?
"Th-then… you didn't clear it alone…?"
"Right. Without this, I never would've been able to clear a 3rd-grade dungeon by myself."
As Ian spoke, he drew the sword hanging at his waist from its scabbard. A blade enveloped in a deep crimson aura. It still looked like an extraordinary sword no matter how many times I saw it. Up close, the feeling was definitely different. It was as if the sword itself was alive. Strange. Truly strange.
"A sword?"
"Yeah. Without this sword, I wouldn't have been able to clear the dungeon."
"That's quite the unique blade. The hilt and blade are crafted in a style rarely seen around here."
"I-I think I heard that swords from the eastern countries are made that way…"
After hearing Ron's words, Lloyd stroked his chin and examined Ian's sword more closely. The hilt was painted a deep black, different from the rest, and the blade was sharpened on only one side like a Japanese sword. Moreover, the crimson-tinged edge looked extremely dangerous. Yeah, if there was a demonic sword that possessed immense power but led its wielder to ruin, it would probably feel like this. But this wasn't a demonic sword. This sword was more like…
While I was glancing sideways at Ian's sword, Lloyd, who had been quietly observing it, finally spoke up.
"But this sword seems to have other elements mixed in besides that. Still, it's a beautiful blade."
"I-it definitely looks like a famous sword… It's really cool. Ian, wh-where did you get a sword like that?"
Ian's sword seemed heavily influenced by eastern Japanese swords overall, but parts of it also carried characteristics of western blades.
"Haha, thanks. I picked this up by chance when I was a kid and I've kept it with me ever since. So this sword is more precious to me than anything else… it's like my other half."
Maybe it was just my imagination, but Ian's expression as he looked at the sword seemed… a little sad. He really cherished that sword. Well, if he'd had it since childhood, that made sense. Still, he found it by chance, huh. Everyone has secrets they want to keep hidden. Whether the others felt the same or not, they stopped asking any more questions about the sword.
"Yeah, swords are precious. A sword is an extension of your own body, after all. Ian, we have a lot in common. I think we could become good friends! Khahaha!"
"Lloyd, lower your voice a bit. I-it's loud…"
"You understand! A sword really is like my other half! As expected, I think I can become good friends with you guys! I've been eating alone because I didn't have any friends until now."
Huh. What was that supposed to mean? Ian didn't have friends? We hadn't known each other long, but a guy who seemed this cheerful and kind didn't have friends? Even now he was getting along instantly with Ron and Lloyd, chatting away. Had something happened that I didn't know about?
While I was lost in thought, Lloyd, who was sitting beside me, asked Ian exactly what I'd been wondering.
"Ian, you don't have friends? Did something happen?"
"Ah, well… it's a bit of a long story."
Ian's expression darkened in an instant at Lloyd's question. So something really had happened.
"L-Lloyd, that's rude to say."
"Ian, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"I-it's not that… I was worried it might upset Vern."
What? What was this now?
"O-oh, don't misunderstand! I just happened to overhear it while passing by…"
"What kind of rumor did you hear exactly?"
When I asked, Ian's face twisted with obvious panic. He glanced back and forth between me and Celia before lowering his voice so only we could hear.
"Well, I'm not the type to believe rumors easily, but… they said all the black-haired guys are weirdos with nasty personalities, so you shouldn't get close to them…"
"Of course, I'm a transfer student too… and it seems like someone has it out for me…"
Ian trailed off. Huh. So there was a rumor going around that black-haired students were eccentric and had bad personalities. I stopped eating the fruit with my left hand and rubbed my chin, deep in thought.
"Hmm… Well, I guess that isn't entirely wrong."
"H-huh? Vern? You think so too?"
"I-it's true that kind of talk was going around… I heard it in passing as well…"
"That's nothing but a rumor! Judging people based on hearsay! What terrible people! Ian, where are those guys?!"
Honestly… considering what the old Vern had done and Celia's way of speaking, it wasn't hard to understand why such rumors existed. Celia grumbling as usual, and the old Vern who used to beat people up. It was inevitable that black-haired students would get a bad image. Still, ostracizing someone just because of their hair color was definitely a problem. Could Celia's lack of friends also be… because of me? No matter how rude her tone was or how much she complained, someone as pretty as her shouldn't have trouble making friends. Objectively speaking, Celia was incredibly beautiful. No, she was stunning. So even if she grumbled, she shouldn't have been without friends… Looking over there now, she was talking with Elisha, Elin, and Lucy. Though it still looked a bit awkward, she was gradually getting closer to normalcy. What Celia had wanted was to talk normally with others, eat meals normally with others. To play together normally, make friends she could share her feelings with. And to smile normally. She wanted to become an ordinary person. Because she was clumsy with expressing emotions and spoke like she was always annoyed, she seemed tougher than anyone else, like solid steel. But in reality, she was a more delicate girl than anyone. She was just a normal second-year academy student who had only recently turned eighteen. With a nail driven into her heart that made it hard for her to connect with others. Crushed by a painful past, growing more exhausted by the day. Seeing Celia like that made my chest ache. Even though I hadn't known her for long, I wanted to protect her normalcy. So she could live and see a wider world. So she could meet the family she'd longed for and live an ordinary life. So let's keep going just like this. Things were gradually getting better. Celia, fighting!
That aside, had my influence really played a part in Celia not having friends? My infamy had spread throughout the entire academy, and even the saintess and the priests beside her had recognized me. If everyone could identify me just by my black hair… Hmm… Well, sorry about that. She had a pretty face and outstanding talent for magic. Even her mana capacity was quite large. She was multi-talented except for her personality. So for various reasons, including her hair color, people had been keeping their distance from her. That must have worn her down both mentally and physically. But Elisha and the others would help her with that. They were all good kids. And I'd be there to help from the side too. Anyway, there really were cases where people suffered because of their hair color. I did feel sorry toward Celia and Ian about that. But it wasn't like Vern had done those things because he enjoyed them. While I was watching Celia chatting with the others, she suddenly turned around as if she'd felt my gaze. Our eyes met.
"Hey, what are you staring at? It's creepy."
Even though she said that, things were definitely improving.
"Hmph."
She turned her head away again with a snort. Yeah, things were getting better, right?
"…"
Still had a long way to go. But at least she didn't look upset. The chilly morning came to an end, and lunchtime drew near.