41. We're Friends, Right?
41. We're Friends, Right?
The academy grounds were home to quite a few buildings, but the ones that stood out most were the main building, Hurnt Hall, and the special building, Signia Hall.
They were flashy, sure, but first and foremost, they were big.
Both the main building and the special building were enormous.
Only twenty students per year.
Even counting held-back students, Signia Hall held fewer than a hundred people, yet it was only slightly smaller than Hurnt Hall.
It was far too spacious for the number of people it accommodated.
And compared to the tiny student body, there were a great many professors.
That was obvious just from looking at where the professors worked.
There were more professors than the entire first-year class.
Did they really need this many?
What did professors who didn't get picked by any students even do?
There were so many professors that it made you wonder.
Which was why Adelia had brought me to her private office.
"It's quiet here, isn't it nice?"
"...Sure, I guess."
Being alone with Adelia was uncomfortable, but considering all the eyes that gathered the moment I walked into the faculty office earlier, this was less unpleasant.
She must have dragged me to the faculty office on purpose just to show me that.
What a nasty piece of work.
"Now then, have a seat first. I have coffee, juice, and milk—what would you like?"
"You don't need to give me anything."
"Milk it is."
"Then why did you ask?"
"Out of courtesy."
Adelia chuckled softly and, without using magic, got up and brought out the refreshments herself.
Why not use magic?
As if she'd read my mind, Adelia chuckled again and handed me a chocolate milk.
"I deliberately didn't use magic. Sometimes bringing things out yourself like this feels more thoughtful, doesn't it?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Besides, since I mainly use Illusion Magic, people get scared if I don't bring things out myself. Heh heh."
I shrugged and popped a smooth white peppermint candy into my mouth.
A richer mint flavor than what I usually ate seeped through my mouth. It was pleasantly sweet and refreshing, and struck me as a rather high-quality product.
"Good, right? It's candy made from freshly ground mint from the western edge. It'll be different from mass-produced stuff."
"Sure, I guess."
"Want me to pack you some more? If you'd like, you can take everything over there."
"House Eustetia has plenty of money."
"Oh my... heh heh heh. I suppose so."
With a light smile, Adelia sipped her coffee, savored the aroma for a while, then spoke.
Seated across from her, I held the peppermint candy in my mouth and drank chocolate milk at the same time, making peppermint-chocolate milk... well, mint-chocolate milk in my mouth.
The taste was better than expected.
The cafe in the academy sold mint-chocolate lattes. Maybe I should try one sometime.
"I called you here about your lecture schedule."
Schedule?
I hurriedly swallowed the milk and looked at Adelia.
"Well, rather than me explaining it—"
At that moment.
BANG—!
The door to the private office flew open as if it might break.
"Eliarnes!!"
A clear, ringing voice echoed loudly.
"...Haah."
A sigh escaped me on its own.
Seeing my reaction, Adelia chuckled and snapped her fingers. At the sound, a sofa dropped out of thin air with a poof!
The owner of the voice didn't so much as flinch at that, throwing herself onto the sofa and shouting my name once more.
"Eli!! Arnes!!"
I dragged a hand down my face with a miserable expression, then slowly turned my head.
Just as I thought.
Vice Dean Leona was sitting there, beaming from ear to ear.
"Vice Dean. Just to be sure, let me ask—"
"That's right! You're going to take my lessons! Of course, it can't be every day, but you still have to take my lessons at least once a week! And of course, after school too!"
I shifted my gaze to Adelia.
She just shrugged as if this wasn't her place to butt in and sipped her coffee.
"...Do you teach separate lectures yourself, Vice Dean?"
"Hm? Nope?"
"Then wouldn't providing me with that kind of special treatment cause problems?"
"Why would it?"
"Well, I'm from House Eustetia, so... couldn't rumors spread that you're giving me special treatment because of my family name?"
Leona shook her head vigorously without a moment's thought.
"It's fine! The lessons will take place where no one else is around, and the other kids won't care what you're doing anyway."
"...Well... that's true, but."
"Yeah! The world doesn't revolve around you!"
"I... wasn't thinking that way."
I rolled the peppermint candy around in my mouth as I listened to that clear voice that was somehow getting on my nerves without me even realizing it.
"Anyway! Since that's settled, clear out your schedule completely from Friday lunchtime onward!"
"...Yes."
"Hehe."
Leona giggled, grabbed a fistful of cookies from the tray, and stood up.
"Then, see you later. I'll come pick you up."
"No. If you just set a time, I think it'd be better for me to go on my own."
"Hm? That won't work."
"...Why not?"
"I don't know when I'll feel like it either! I already got your number, so I'll contact you! Bye!"
SLAM! Leona, who hadn't so much as glanced at Adelia, walked out and the door closed.
"Doesn't know when she'll feel like it... unbelievable."
I chewed over her words for a moment, then let out a sigh and sank into the sofa.
"Miss Eliarnes is quite popular. I'm envious."
"Being too popular is exhausting."
"Ahahaha! I was expecting a face that was a little embarrassed or overwhelmed. You're so much like an old man."
"...An old man?"
"Yes. This kind of face. You always wear such a stiff expression, so that flustered look is really quite adorable."
Her voice felt like it was licking every corner of my body, and goosebumps prickled all over me.
"Just to be clear, do you... actually enjoy women?"
"I, Adelia Baros, am an honest homeroom professor who never tells a single lie."
Adelia's expression was brimming with sincerity.
I barely managed to hold back the curse that was about to burst out.
Was this what it felt like to have a cockroach confess to you?
I scrunched up my face and rose from my seat.
"...It seems our business is done, so I'll be going now."
"You're welcome to stay longer."
Ignoring Adelia, I tried the door—click.
Click—click—
"The door's locked."
"Oh my? That can't be."
"...I'll just open it myself and leave."
She was really pulling a childish prank like this?
Grinding my teeth, I spread my Mana outward.
Rattle—!
Not enough. A little more.
"Hoo..."
With a hot breath, cherry-blossom-colored Mana rose in wisps and wrapped around my body.
At the same time.
Click-clack, click-clack—
The sound of shoes reached my ears.
It came from directly behind me.
I hadn't even felt her presence approaching.
"I'll open it for you."
A gentle voice. Black hair draped into the corner of my vision like a curtain. Then a dizzying whiff of perfume, and something soft pressed against the back of my head.
And then.
Crrrick—an unnatural sound came from the gap in the door.
Creeeak—
The door opened.
I let out the breath I'd been holding and took a big step forward.
"Miss Eliarnes. I'm not sure you'll believe me, but it seems someone played a prank on my office door."
I turned back to look at Adelia, who spoke as if troubled.
"...It does seem that way."
"Oh my. You believe me?"
"...No, it's not that I particularly believe you."
It wasn't that I believed her—I'd seen it with my own eyes.
Just before the door opened, there was magic wrapped around it.
The remnants of Mana left behind when that magic shattered.
Because I'd glimpsed Mana of a completely different color from the Mana Adelia had shown in the lecture hall earlier.
Along with the peppermint candy in my mouth, I rolled the question that had surfaced in my head this way and that.
Was she being ostracized by the other professors or something?
"I'm not being ostracized."
"I didn't say anything. I'll be going now."
"Yes. Get back safely. If you have any questions, feel free to come by anytime. You can contact me via Device too. My number should be saved."
I gave a rough nod and walked away.
Adelia stood there for a while, staring at the door.
*****
"I'm going to start a club."
I'd brought Stella, who'd been hovering awkwardly in front of our classroom, to the cafe.
And the first thing out of her mouth was that.
"Hm? You can start clubs?"
Slurp slurp—Eurasia answered in my place while I focused on my mint-chocolate latte.
It was much better than the one I'd made in my mouth.
From then on, I'd just get mint chocolate instead of plain chocolate.
"Yeah. You, me, and Eliarnes are, well..."
Stella glanced around nervously and lowered her voice.
"We're special admission students, right? So apparently the three of us are given the right to open a club."
"I see... So, what kind of club are you going to make?"
"The Ge Vihenum Exploration Club."
"...Huh?"
Gulp—I swallowed my mint chocolate and looked at Stella too.
"I'm going to make a Demon World expedition club."
"...Ah, ahaha. Would something like that even get approved?"
"I wasn't sure, so I asked our homeroom professor. She said we just need to find the minimum number of members and a supervising professor."
In Stella's hand was a club application form.
In the president slot was written Stella Verheigen, her own name, and the member slots were completely empty.
Of course, the supervising professor slot was empty too.
I looked at it and asked.
"What's the minimum number of members?"
"Four."
"Do you even have that many friends?"
"We're friends... no, I-I'll find them from now on!"
Stella shouted with the expression of an abandoned cat, then looked at me and Eurasia with cautious eyes.
"So, um... you know."
Eurasia immediately caught on to what Stella wanted and quietly turned her gaze toward me.
In Eurasia's eyes was a deep desire to help Stella somehow.
Slurrrp—I sucked up a mouthful of mint chocolate and, before Stella could open her mouth, asked first.
"But couldn't you go during vacation even without making a club?"
"Well... that's true. But if we make a club, we might be able to go to the Demon World once or twice a year even when it's not vacation."
"So it's not certain?"
"...Right. This kind of club is unprecedented, so even our homeroom professor said she doesn't know how to handle it. So for now, on the surface, I'm thinking we'll study information and geography about the Demon World, and behind the scenes, we'll try to create opportunities to go on expeditions."
Stella clenched both fists, her face set with determination.
"So, um... will you join the club I'm making?"
Once again, Eurasia's gaze turned to me.
"I won't... make it a hassle. We'll just... meet briefly during club time after regular classes, and, um... we can't just mess around because of club performance records, but still... I'll handle all the annoying stuff myself. And if you don't want to go to the Demon World... I can just go alone, so... please."
"If Eurasia and I join, what about the last member?"
"That's... I'll find someone somehow. We just need to apply by next Friday, so there's plenty of time."
It wasn't impossible that Stella could make a friend within a week and invite them to the club.
Of course, that would've been true if it were a normal club.
The Ge Vihenum Exploration Club.
Just hearing the name would make ordinary students recoil.
On top of that, finding a professor willing to supervise the club would be difficult too.
If things went according to Stella's plan, at some point during her three years there, she'd end up going to Ge Vihenum, and if that happened, the supervising professor would inevitably have to accompany them.
From both a student's and a professor's perspective, it was a club that naturally made you think there'd be all kinds of difficult—no, downright unpleasant and annoying—things to deal with.
Still, I liked it.
I was planning to go to the Demon World anyway.
So then.
"What do you want to do, Eurasia?"
I turned my head to look at Eurasia.
"Don't worry about me. Just say what you want."
"Um... I, I... want to join."
"Good. I want to join too."
I nodded and looked at Stella.
Stella's face lit up, and she covered the corners of her mouth that kept twitching upward as she asked again.
"...Really? You're not joking?"
"Yeah."
"Heh... hehe, you can't change your mind later!"
Even as she spoke as if she still doubted us, Stella pulled a pen from her pocket and began writing our names down.
Watching the top of Stella's head as I slurped my mint chocolate, I let out a small laugh and turned my gaze out the window.
A clear sky and neatly manicured lawns.
Beyond them, I could see countless students wearing Hurnt uniforms, quite different from Signia's.
Some students walked along chatting with friends, while others walked slowly, staring at their Devices.
Would even one of them be willing to join Stella's club?
Can Stella, with our level of social graces, even make friends?
What if she invites someone to a weird club and ends up getting ostracized?
It would be nice if the club could be established without any problems so we could get to Ge Vihenum even a little sooner.
While I was lost in these thoughts, idly swinging my legs—which didn't reach the ground—back and forth.
Among the many students.
I spotted a student sitting alone on a bench, eating rye bread in solitude.
Adorable round ears and a fluffy squirrel tail.
A relaxed expression, as if being alone was familiar—no, even comfortable. Bright, sparkling eyes and cheeks moving as she chewed.
"Heh..."
The sight made the corner of my mouth twitch upward.
"Eurasia. How do I make a call on this thing again?"
Time to call the "friend" whose number I'd exchanged just this morning.