136. End of Spring
136. End of Spring
"...Why are you doing that?"
"Don't ask, just close your eyes. Before I stab you."
"Oh my god..."
"Oh my god what... haah..."
Last time it was Eurasia, this time it was Stella.
Two people now... have seen me like this.
Why the hell does this crazy Beastkin Leona love princess-carrying me so much?
"Now... put me down, please."
Why do I have to ask for something like this?
Because I can't get down on my own.
She looks like she's holding my body lightly, but she's got me gripped tight. I don't know how she's doing it, but I strangely can't break free.
"Isn't it comfortable?"
"...If you don't want to see your disciple bite her tongue and kill herself, put me down now."
"You wouldn't die just from biting your tongue, though?"
"I won't say it twice."
"Nyahaha!"
Leona laughed brightly and immediately set me down.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I threw a punch at Leona's face.
"I knew it!"
Blocked. I'd expected that too. I immediately twisted my hips and extended a leg. Tuh-up—blocked just the same.
One-Inch Force? Impossible—one of my legs was off the ground.
Any other attack... would obviously be blocked too.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue and let the tension out of my body. Leona then released the leg she'd grabbed as well.
"You've gotten pretty sharp, though. Is it because you've been through real combat?"
"Shut up."
Ignoring Leona's teasing, I turned my head.
"Hmm..."
I saw the Flame Emperor with her usual blank expression, but looking like she was debating whether to run or not, and Stella with a dumb expression like she couldn't understand what was happening right now.
First, I bowed my head to the Flame Emperor.
"We keep running into each other."
"Hmm. Indeed... we are meeting quite often."
Having accepted my greeting, the Flame Emperor was still watching Leona warily.
"Don't be so on guard. Today... I just came to talk, that's all."
"This Flame Emperor... Fist Demon, you—"
"Don't call me Fist Demon, just call me Leona. And didn't I tell you not to do that 'This Flame Emperor' stuff in front of me?"
"I-is it truly all right to call you by name? Is that not something... only possible between close friends?"
What the hell is she talking about?
As expected, the Flame Emperor really is a loser.
Her way of speaking is weird, her emotional expressions are awkward, she's a Hero fanatic, and there's no way someone who collects Hero merch in Ge Vihenum has friends.
Leona must have thought the same thing, because she made a baffled face.
"What nonsense are you spouting...? Whatever, just call me by name. If you don't like it, you can call me by my family name."
"In that case... this Flame Emperor shall call you... Fi, ahem. Leona..."
The Flame Emperor's face flushed pink.
She seems to think this means they're friends now.
"And this... tch, fine. Anyway, I only came to talk today, so don't be on guard and just relax."
"But, Fi... Leona. Did you not say the same thing in the past and then assault this Flame Emperor...!"
Her flushed face went pale again.
She said Leona took Arisa's belongings from her three years ago, right? That's why she's wary.
"Assault? Get your story straight. You were the one who got all up in my face showing off my master's things first! Hup."
After saying that, Leona flinched in surprise and covered her own mouth.
Her trembling golden eyes looked at me.
I looked back into Leona's eyes and nodded.
"I already knew."
"W-what? H-how?!"
"Mom told me."
"M-mom...? Mom? Shadowless?!"
"Yes. So, first finish your talk with the Flame Emperor. Then give me supplementary lessons, and after that, we'll talk."
Grinding her teeth, Leona nodded with difficulty. Her tail and ears drooped more than before.
"Anyway, Flame Emperor. That was... you provoking me first. So I had no choice but to reluctantly take it. Anyway, nothing like that's happening today, so talk with me."
"F-for what reason?"
"You're going to be Stella's master, apparently."
"Hmm, correct. It is a contract with Eliarnes, so I must honor it. And Stella Verheigen has outstanding talent, so teaching her is enjoyable and rewarding."
"So let's talk about that. What's with that face? You don't want to?"
"I do dislike speaking with you alone... but if I say I dislike it, you will inflict violence upon this Flame Emperor, will you not?"
"...The kids are listening, so cut that crap. If necessary, I'll even swear an oath that I'll only talk quietly today, so follow me."
"To go so far as to speak of oaths... for today at least, this Flame Emperor shall trust you, Leona."
After Leona and the Flame Emperor went to a corner of the training hall, Stella, who had been glancing around nervously, cautiously approached me.
"...Eliarnes."
"What."
"W-what is all this? Why... is the Flame Emperor, the actual Flame Emperor... becoming my master?"
"You heard. It's because of a request I made."
"She said it was a contract... a contract... with you."
"Well... if it's a contract... then it's a contract."
The word "contract" felt too heavy, so I'd just called it my request, but the Flame Emperor insisted on taking it as a contract.
Honestly, I do feel a bit more at ease with the Flame Emperor treating it as a contract, but if word of this got out... it would get troublesome in all sorts of ways, so I'm a little uneasy.
"Th-thank you."
"If you're grateful, then study hard."
"Yeah. That's obvious. An opportunity like this is never common. But... why did this... opportunity suddenly come up?"
"It's a long story... hmm, I'll tell you slowly later. Maybe the Flame Emperor will tell you herself."
"You didn't... take on some unfavorable condition or some difficult task, did you?"
"Why would I take on something like that? This is just... like you won the lottery, the same way you got picked last time. So don't feel burdened—no, feel burdened. This opportunity came because of me. You have to repay me for this. Got it?"
Stella's face crumpled.
Now she's going to snap back with something sharp, right?
I was expecting a prickly reaction... but her face smoothed out quickly. And she smiled softly.
"Yeah. Got it..."
Stella's reaction made goosebumps crawl all over my body.
"Are you insane?"
"W-what? Why would I be insane? What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Your reaction... is absolutely horrifying."
"A-adorable...? Me? I'm adorable?"
"I said horrifying, you bitch."
This time her face properly twisted.
There's her usual vicious expression!
"What do you mean horrifying? I didn't even say anything! I was actually thanking you, so why!"
"That's what's horrifying. Why are you being so nice today? You're not normally like this."
"Wh-why do you complain even when I'm nice?"
"They say when a person suddenly changes, it means they're about to die. That's why."
"...Hah."
Stella, who had been scrunching up her face, mumbled with her lips and fidgeted with her fingers.
"I-I won't die from something like that. I have too many debts to repay... heh."
"There you go with your bullshit again."
I clicked my tongue and plopped down onto the chair behind me.
"Stop talking nonsense and give me something to drink."
Stella looked around and pointed at the water bottle hanging from her waist.
"Something to drink? I-I don't have anything but this."
"There's not even a vending machine here?"
"No. There isn't."
"What kind of training hall doesn't have a vending machine? Then give me that."
I reached out toward Stella.
Stella stared at my hand for a moment, then... with a strangely resolute expression, handed over the water bottle.
"...Here."
"Can I drink it all?"
"Huh? N-no, not all of it. I'm thirsty too, so not all of it... just leave me a little."
Gulp gulp—I chugged the lukewarm water and handed it back to Stella.
"Pwah... ugh, it's warm. Here, take it."
"...Okay."
With an odd expression, Stella licked her lips, took the bottle, and put the cap part in her mouth.
She drinks water weirdly.
Isn't that uncomfortable?
*****
The Flame Emperor's expression was bright as she returned from talking with Leona. Leona, on the other hand, was still dark.
Is it because her master being Arisa got exposed?
Or did the conversation go in a direction Leona didn't want?
I couldn't tell, but I got up from my seat for now.
"Stella."
"Ah... yes, Vice Dean."
"Starting tomorrow... no, starting next time, I'll set aside a private training hall for you at the academy. You can train with the Flame Emperor there. In exchange, you must not tell anyone that you've become the Flame Emperor's disciple. Understood?"
"Gasp... yes. Understood! Th-thank you...!"
Leona ruffled Stella's hair as she bowed deeply, then looked at me.
"And Eliarnes."
"Yes."
"You... really are a hopeless disciple."
"Even if I hadn't hidden it, you would've found out from that comment earlier anyway."
"...Well, that's true. Haah... Anyway, the talk ended well. But you have to keep quiet about this too."
"So you'll be sneaking into the academy from now on?"
At my words, the Flame Emperor bristled.
"Hmm...! It is not sneaking. If this Flame Emperor entered the academy openly, I would get caught up in... many problems, so I am merely moving in secrecy."
"That's sneaking."
"What?! Hah... Leona. Your disciple... is truly impertinent. She seems even more impertinent than when this Flame Emperor is alone with her."
"...Yeah. I think so too. It's not like she doesn't know how scary the world is, so why is she like this?"
"It's because I believe the Flame Emperor and the Vice Dean won't kill me."
"Smooth-talking. Impertinent. Get just a little bit stronger and you'll be trying to match me. Huh?"
I neither confirmed nor denied Leona's words. Actually, once I get stronger, I will match her.
Why? Well. I'm a person from 400 years ago in my own way.
So it wouldn't be weird for me to become friends with Leona.
"Anyway, the talk ended well, so let's call it a day and go."
Leona spread her arms toward me.
I immediately scrunched up my face.
"Are you insane?"
Stella's mouth fell open.
The Flame Emperor's mouth fell open too.
"T-to say such a thing... to the Fist Demon."
Hearing that, Leona glared at the Flame Emperor like she wanted to kill her and growled.
"I told you not to call me Fist Demon."
"Hmm... this Flame Emperor was so surprised that I made a mistake. But... Leona, do you dislike being called... that name more than being called insane by a little kid much younger than you?"
"Why? She's just like a kitten, so it's ridiculous and cute. The way she's pointlessly prickly and sharp-tongued too."
At Leona's teasing words, Stella beside me shrugged her shoulders trying to hold back laughter, and the Flame Emperor nodded as if she understood.
"Kit...ten? What? Ridiculous? Me? Wow, ha, ha! I've lived long enough to hear all sorts of things."
Feeling the heat surge up, I raised both fists.
"I'm definitely landing one hit today."
"Hmm? You? On me? Fine! I'll fight you with one leg raised and one hand behind my back! Come at me!"
"You won't regret this?"
"Regret? Nyahahaha! Eliarnes. If you make this leg touch the ground? Then I'll be your little sister for the whole day."
"Nice. Stand right there and get ready to get hit."
I immediately roused my Mana and charged in.
*****
"Big sis! I have so many questions!"
"Sure, little sis. Your questions are none of your business, so go outside and buy me some water. My leg's broken, so I can't move."
"Then your little sis will carry you, big sis!"
"Now now. Little sisters should listen well... ah, no, I said don't carry me! Hiyak?! Hey! Put me down!"
"Nyahahahahaha!"