The Crunch of Leaves
The crunch of leaves underfoot tickled his ears. Maness didn't particularly mind climbing the mountain alone in quiet solitude. If anything, he rather enjoyed it. The steady rhythm of his breathing, the crumbling sounds of dirt and foliage, the occasional beastly cry echoing in the distance. Wasn't it a time to savor the simple luxuries of life while drawing in deep breaths of fresh air?
But right now, he was deeply uncomfortable. There was one sound too many. And every one of them was rougher than his own.
"Huff... huff."
It was only natural, given how woefully out of shape she was, yet she stubbornly kept pace. A duke's daughter from the duchy probably hadn't done much hiking in her life.
"Tired? Why don't you head back from here?"
"Not... at... all!"
For all her tough talk, Iris was leaning against a tree like she might collapse any second, her face twisted in agony. Maness let out a deep sigh at the sight.
"You've got talent for handling mana. Why not focus on that instead of tagging along?"
"I told you! I'm worried you'll screw over our class!"
When he'd asked why she wanted to come along, she'd brought up how she'd been hanging with the second-years before class started. Maybe they'd plotted something together. It was an obvious lie. In the original story, she never paid any mind to whatever Maness got up to.
And above all...
"Liar. It's written all over your face."
She was terrible at controlling her expressions. Hit right on the mark, a crack appeared in Iris's facade. Seemingly giving up on excuses, she slumped against the tree she'd been using as a crutch and plopped down on the ground.
"Let's take a break."
"I'm heading up."
"Mages might be lone wolves, but we don't abandon our comrades. Don't you know this class is about 'the virtues a mage must possess'?"
Maness swallowed the retort he'd been about to make. Arguing blindly wouldn't get him anywhere, and dragging this out would just build resentment.
"Who said that?"
In the end, he decided to chat idly while resting.
"My mentor."
"You have a mentor?"
"A mage who visited our estate when I was little. I just call him that on my own."
A breeze swept through the forest. It wasn't cold against his skin, but it cooled his sweat, bringing a faint chill.
"So you learned magic separately?"
"Not really learned—just got some advice. After that, I figured it out on my own."
As their conversation flowed, Maness could see why Iris was so popular with her peers. Despite her duke's daughter background, she hid nothing and showed her true self openly.
"Might sound arrogant, but holing up in the estate doesn't suit me. I was rummaging around for something to do and stumbled on a mage's writings in the library."
"That's what sparked your interest in magic, huh."
Maness played along with her story as best he could. Her reason for following him was surely tied to the morning class. Best to steer clear of that topic.
"I came to Snowrobe to learn magic, sure. And it's a convenient excuse to leave home."
"Handy excuse. No downside to attending Snowrobe."
He could just kill time with small talk like this, grab the target, and be done.
"Isn't this unfair, though?"
"What?"
"You're from a trading company. Shouldn't you be all about the calculations?"
Iris wiped sweat from her wrist and glared at him with wide eyes.
"We've been talking about me this whole time."
Of course she wouldn't let it slide easily. Iris might be straightforward, but she wasn't simple-minded. She stayed true to her nature while still pressing where it mattered—a sharp one, really. Otherwise, she wouldn't be hanging with a delinquent like him.
"I've got nothing to tell you."
"You might not have anything to say, but I've got things I want to hear."
Maness quietly swallowed. She was probably curious about his mana control from morning class. Not a great situation.
Magic was her biggest interest. If she linked him to it magically, keeping distance would be tough.
"What do you want to hear?"
What question would she throw? What answer should he give? As he racked his brain, Iris didn't wait.
"Why do you live like that?"
He'd expected something about mana... What?
*
"You mean it's weird that I act like a delinquent?"
"That's the gist."
He'd nearly cursed at the "why do you live like that," but Maness held it in and pressed for details. In short, how could the young head of a massive trading company that dominated the continent live so recklessly?
"Not much to say about that."
"Why? Some secret you can't share?"
Fire lit in Iris's red eyes. But no matter how much she hoped, Maness couldn't give a satisfying answer.
I don't know either.
He wanted to ask why the original Maness Pictri lived like that. If he appeared in a dream, he'd grab him by the collar. If he'd just lived normally and graduated, he wouldn't be stressing like this.
"Not something I can tell just anyone."
"Hmm... I see."
Maness avoided her scrutinizing gaze, letting out a groan. Best to leave room for evasion. He couldn't just blurt, "I'm not from this world. Got isekai'd from a game."
"Not satisfying, so answer the next one properly."
"If I can."
Unable to predict, he kept it vague.
"I was curious why you acted like a delinquent. But seeing you up close, it's even more confusing."
He let her bait pass unanswered.
"When you were late this morning, you were polite to the professor."
"Obviously. No point pissing off a prof."
"Shouldn't that apply to fellow students too?"
Spot on. No good excuse, so Maness pointed to a rustling nearby—a small mountain critter scurrying by.
"Squirrel."
"Don't change the subject."
No gaps in her responses. He withdrew his hand. Time for something plausible.
"Iris, we're students now, but you know our backgrounds differ."
She nodded, as if to say duh.
"One reason I came to Snowrobe was to escape that for a bit."
"And while Snowrobe has nobles like you, most students are commoners."
"So?"
Hooked, Maness flashed his most wicked grin.
"What can the commoners do if I mess with them?"
The school preached equality among students. But rules weren't perfectly enforced, and ingrained class differences ran deep.
"So you're saying..."
Boltman from second-year was an earl's son. Shrewd as he was, his noble status surely helped form his clique.
"You only picked on the weak?"
"Exactly. I didn't mess with Kyle when he reached out. Same with you right now."
True enough. Everyone in first-year thought Kyle would get it bad for approaching Maness first. But he'd responded kindly, against his reputation. And Iris hadn't felt any delinquent vibes dealing with him.
Snowrobe professors. The Pantia duke's heir. The Jerman duchy's princess. Even the continent's top trading heir couldn't treat them lightly.
"Hmm..."
"Makes sense now?"
Strong against weak, weak against strong. It stung playing the ultimate sleaze, but no other way.
"Heard you even flirted with the princess?"
"...Flirting isn't cursing her out."
"And you ignored Morras's provocations."
"You know he's glued to Kyle? I can tell who's worth it."
Perfect defense. Whatever she asked, he had a plausible spin.
"Kinda makes sense."
"Right?"
"A guy who calls himself a delinquent must be broken somewhere."
Harsh. Maness tamped down the rising irritation.
Reap what you sow. The cost of hurting classmates with barbs before. He reined in his emotions.
"So, we're really done n—"
"What're you talking about?"
Iris hastily stopped him from standing.
"You said calculate. Isn't it over?"
"Doesn't balance. My childhood stories cost extra."
...There's a limit to stubbornness.
*
"Senior, you asleep?"
Even at Metaph's call, Almond showed no sign of stirring. Obvious she was listening, her feigned ignorance was getting annoying. He strode to the sprawled woman and yanked off her eyepatch.
"......"
"Sleeping here'll make your mouth crooked."
Blinding sunlight made Almond grimace fiercely. Undeterred, Metaph just flashed his signature smile.
"Don't make that face. I brought your favorite tea."
"It went cold on the way."
"Didn't you hear? Pictri Trading just released insulated bottles with warming magic."
With Metaph refusing to back off, Almond sat up and yawned hugely. Words wouldn't work on him.
"That's why you're out of touch with students—falling behind the times."
"That's on them to try harder, not me."
"Hiteri too. You profs are heartless."
Soon Metaph poured tea from his set and offered a cup. Freshly woken and grumpy, Almond's face soured further.
"My favorite, huh? I hate black tea."
"One of my top picks. You'll grow to like it."
Teasingly clinking an imaginary cup, Metaph savored his sip. Following suit, Almond grimaced again.
"Bitter."
"Taste of life."
"Kid talking like an old fogey."
"Only the young can afford to."
Not yielding an inch, Almond chuckled dryly and sipped again. The bitterness wasn't welcome, but it paired nicely with the field's quiet and the tea's warmth. She slept first usually, but this vibe wasn't bad occasionally.
"We're not that far apart in age anyway."
"Cut the crap. Why'd you come all this way?"
Unpredictable junior or not, he didn't move without purpose. Visiting mid-class meant it was worth it.
"To see your face, senior."
"Plenty of time this afternoon."
"Killing two birds. Got a question."
Metaph's tone lowered as he got to the point.
"Any standout freshmen this time?"
*
Wondering what bizarre question she'd toss next, Maness sat back down to hear her out. Iris fired away.
"About that mana control class this morning."
From the opener, Maness regretted his choice. Should've just ditched her.