Chapter 143: Mentor Isaac — Interlude
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143: Mentor Isaac — Interlude
I read White’s state of mind.
‘…She’s out of gel.’
I immediately grasped her situation.
White had spent every last bit of gel she had and was currently starving. Her oath to become more independent and take responsibility for herself had likely pushed her too far.
One might wonder how she could burn through so much gel, and the answer was simple: her training equipment. She had been boasting to me about her new tools lately, after all.
I know she meant well… but this was a bit much.
“I never knew bread could taste this good…”
We were in a dark garden. White and I sat side by side on a bench illuminated by a single street lamp.
She was nibbling on her bread with tears of joy in her eyes. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her.
“Did she say she was staying over there?”
I turned to look at a tree just beyond the reach of the lamplight. Merlin Astrea’s golden eyes shimmered in the shadows.
“She said she would keep her distance so she wouldn't go soft on me. She told me I had to overcome my problems on my own…”
So, Merlin had intentionally distanced herself from White to maintain her resolve. I could understand that. It would be incredibly difficult for her to stand by and watch White suffer from an empty stomach. Merlin likely wanted to respect White’s determination.
For the record, I knew Merlin was there because she had suddenly lunged out of the darkness just as White was about to take her first bite, snatched a piece of the bread, and vanished again.
She had done it to check if the bread was poisoned.
Even though I understood the logic, seeing her hop in for a bite and disappear without a word was still a bit perplexing.
“…Senior Isaac, you always seem to be training.”
I was holding a magic tool in my right hand, continuously circulating my mana. It was a simple training method I used whenever I was jogging or had a few spare moments.
White took another mouthful of bread. Her cheeks puffed up like a hamster storing food.
“Nomnom… Is there a reason you work so hard?”
“It’s nice to have good grades, and it guarantees a solid future. Plus, there’s a sense of accomplishment. What about you?”
“Ah. I-it’s the same for me…! A sense of improvement! Yeah, that’s it!”
“Is that so?”
White’s true objective for becoming stronger was to become friends with the Priestess and the Saintess. It seemed she was too embarrassed to admit that was her goal.
“Then why were you starving? There are plenty of people who would give you gel if you just asked.”
There was an entire line of students who wanted nothing more than to get close to White. She was a princess, after all. It wasn't like she was unaware of her status.
“That’s… something I don’t want to do.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll feel like I have to repay them. I don’t like that feeling. Besides, most people only do things like that to use me to their advantage. Feeling obligated to repay people like that… it’s terrible.”
Ah, right.
White hated being indebted to others. Moreover, she had difficulty trusting those who were kind to her, often finding their ulterior motives uncomfortable. In her mind, she saw them more as opportunists than friends.
There was a valid reason for such deep-seated trust issues.
She was almost assassinated, after all.
White had personally experienced what it was like to have people act kindly one moment, only to try and kill her the next. To make matters worse, the person behind the assassination attempt had been her own mother. The shock a child would feel from that was unfathomable.
It was only natural for her to be traumatized.
…But even so.
“I still don’t think starving yourself is the answer.”
“It’s the result of my own poor decisions. I have to handle it myself…”
What she said was surprisingly mature.
“Senior Isaac. I owe you. I am indebted to you now.”
White spoke while looking down at her bread.
Debt. White likely found it easier to accept help if she framed it that way.
“Nomnom… I’ll definitely repay this debt one day.”
“…I’ll be charging interest, too.”
“Yes, of course!”
White was a character essential for me to reach a happy ending. It wouldn't hurt to have her owe me a favor. In fact, this was actually better for her.
“Speaking of debt, Senior Isaac.”
“Yeah?”
“Can you lend me a guarantee… I mean, some gel?”
I heard a scary word slip out of her mouth, but I pretended I didn't.
White had low mana and even lower grades. If she took a loan from the academy’s bank, the interest would snowball into an unmanageable mountain. It was fine for me because I had a plan, but not for her.
She didn't even have enough money to sustain herself until the next exam, so she had decided to borrow from me instead.
“…Alright. Just train harder so you can earn more gel. Remember, you’ll have to take responsibility if you can’t repay me.”
White’s expression brightened the moment her survival was guaranteed.
“T-thank you, Senior Isaac…! I will make sure to take responsibility and repay you!”
I wasn't worried about White running away with my money. She had a fierce sense of responsibility. Her dislike for debt wasn't without reason; she would do anything to clear her name.
“But won't you be the first princess in history to be indebted to a commoner?”
“Then this can be considered a historic moment for Zelver!”
Despite the humiliating situation, White smiled as if it were a light joke. Having lightened her mental load, she stared straight ahead with a much more relaxed expression.
She stopped chewing. It looked like she had something she wanted to say.
“Hey, Senior Isaac.”
“Yeah.”
“I like that you treat me so comfortably. It makes me feel at ease, too.”
“It does?”
“But you’re firm when you need to be, and strict during training. You’re a bit like a real teacher.”
“I think that’s going a bit far. I’m just a mentor.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you before, though. At first glance, you seemed soft-hearted, but you’re really not…. Anyway, that’s just my impression.”
Even as the person with the highest status in the academy, Snow White didn't care much for social hierarchy. She took full advantage of the academy’s culture of minimizing status differences to treat others comfortably.
You could see that in the way she treated me, a commoner.
Just like her appearance—which was best described as pure white—she was like a blank canvas that hadn't been stained by the cynicism of society. That was why I couldn't help but feel a certain affection for the kid.
With a kind smile, I extended my hand to her.
“…Let’s do well on the next exam, White.”
“Yes sir, Senior Isaac, sir!”
White smiled widely and slapped my hand.
Clap.
The sound echoed into the night air.
*
Under the night sky, on a path lit by street lamps.
A female student with short white hair and a black rabbit-ear ribbon, Amy Holloway, was returning to the dorms with Ian Fairytale after training. Both were in their training gear, drenched in sweat.
Suddenly, Amy stopped in her tracks. She had spotted a silver-blue-haired student, Isaac, and the Pure White Princess, Snow White, chatting on a garden bench.
“What is it, Amy?”
The black-haired student, Ian, stopped beside her. Amy brought her index finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
Isaac. She had heard he had become Princess Snow White’s mentor. It was a hot topic among the students, as it was hard to imagine a commoner mentoring a princess anywhere outside of Märchen Academy.
There was no reason to be suspicious of them being together.
Amy activated the Holloway Family’s bloodline ability, [Heart Color Discernment], to check the color of Isaac’s heart. It was something she had been doing constantly since the start of the second year whenever she saw him.
She wanted to memorize every shade of that color. She wanted confirmation of whether Isaac was the Nameless Hero or not.
“…That color.”
“What?”
Blue and orange.
No matter how many times she checked, the color of Isaac’s heart reminded her of the Nameless Hero she had briefly glimpsed. The problem was that she hadn't gotten a perfect look at the Nameless Hero’s heart back then. It was like trying to recall the exact color of a flying arrow.
She desperately wanted to see him just one more time.
Whenever she thought about it, Amy always arrived at the same question: What will I do if Isaac actually is the Nameless Hero?
‘I’ll have to question him.’
Whether it was for the Holloway Family or for herself.
What she wanted was a happy future with Ian Fairytale. Märchen Academy was just a stepping stone to achieve that dream. But last year, demons had constantly plagued the academy.
On multiple occasions, the Nameless Hero had defeated those demons and protected Ian. He had even protected her at the Astrea Duchy. To repay that favor and support the archwizard, Amy needed to discover his identity.
“…?”
As she gazed at Isaac, Amy unintentionally caught a glimpse of Princess Snow White’s heart as well.
“Wait, what is that?”
“Amy?”
Amy felt a chill run down her spine and frowned.
“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Amy patted Ian’s back and resumed walking. Ian followed behind, looking confused.
When Amy was young, she had promised herself only to use [Heart Color Discernment] when absolutely necessary. It tended to make her view of a person biased, and she couldn't recall a single time that had ended well.
So, Amy decided she hadn't seen the color of the Princess’s heart. She decided that she was merely the kind-hearted Princess Snow White.
As they walked down the lamp-lit path, Ian asked in an anxious voice, “I’m just asking in case, but… you aren't interested in Isaac or anything, right?”
Amy responded with flushed cheeks, “Why? Are you jealous?”
*
[Meooow. This is Alice’s message.]
Alice’s Labyrinth—a space defined by black and red checkered patterns.
At the top of a grand staircase sat an extravagant throne, occupied by a plump purple cat in a suit. It was the Phantom Cat, Cheshire. Standing on either side of the throne were a black rabbit and a white rabbit, also in suits, fanning the Phantom Cat with red fans.
The four Paladins stood in a line before the Phantom Cat to receive Alice’s orders.
[A demon from the deep oceans will appear during the joint practical evaluation. The exact location and time of the appearance are unknown.]
The suit Cheshire was wearing looked like it was on the verge of bursting due to his rotund body.
[The Black Monster will come to eliminate the demon. But before that, the Black Monster may also participate in the evaluation. He is, after all, hiding his identity and power for some reason. Regardless, your objective is to thwart the Black Monster’s plans! It would be even better if you could reveal his true identity!]
When the Phantom Cat raised its paws to shout, a shirt button near its stomach popped off, exposing its furry belly.
[Do your best to help the demons defeat the Child of Light and destroy this world! Meoow!]
The student known as Spade clicked his tongue in disapproval.
The female student, Heart, blushed and smiled.
The male student, Clover, nodded with a fake, gentle smile.
The female student, Diamond, remained expressionless.
[Ah, right. One more message from Alice.]
The Phantom Cat spoke calmly, resting its chin on its paw.
[Do not die. You are all Alice’s valued subordinates, after all~.]
A heavy tension settled over the room. The four Paladins blinked slowly.
Their opponent was a mysterious archwizard they couldn't defeat even if they fought together. He could use 9-star magic and had single-handedly defeated the Floating Island.
But each Paladin had the resolve to carry out the Queen’s will, no matter how powerful the enemy. They folded their left arms behind their waists, placed their right hands over their hearts, and bowed slightly.
Then, they chanted in unison.
“Everything as per the Queen’s will.”
*
Soon after, the joint practical evaluation began.