A Night with the Heroine...? (2)
There's only one room available. In this fantasy world's era, it's not particularly strange for men or women over fifteen to stay overnight at an inn while traveling long distances.
But 'sharing a room with strangers of the opposite sex is a huge problem.' If we don't get separate rooms and end up sharing one, it'll be awkward for us—and for the innkeeper too.
"Uh, um."
Unia panics. I didn't see this coming either.
'How does a rundown inn in a backwater village only have one room left?' It doesn't make sense. But the innkeeper doesn't seem to be lying, and the lodging ledger behind him is packed with names for every room.
'Ah.'
I get it.
'Academy freshmen or their families, besides us.'
It's close enough to reach the academy by the dawn train. Missing that train means being late for the entrance exam and waiting another year. They're probably all setting alarms to wake up early for it. But that first train might not even come.
Here, you have to take the slower but reliable magic bus.
Train versus bus—which arrives first at the academy is obvious.
'Why worry about them?'
They don't need to worry. The ones who should are us.
"Unia. About that..."
I'm at a loss on how to handle this with her, but—
"We'll take it. It's fine, right, oppa?"
"......Yeah."
Unia snatches the key like it's a prize, and I follow her with a gruff reply.
The innkeeper eyes us suspiciously.
"Hey, wait a sec..."
"We're from a rural village. Name's Red Sol Phoenix. Just write it here?"
"...Sure."
But he doesn't seem too bothered.
"Listen, young man."
"Yes."
"You won't, y'know, pounce on her or anything, right?"
"Don't worry. She's way stronger than me."
"So you won't end up getting jumped by that girl or something?"
"?"
The innkeeper doesn't even have prejudices.
"These days, with girls and..."
He's giving me a concerned look, probably worried about something unseemly happening.
"Won't get your mana drained or anything. Whew, bold kids."
Unia suddenly starts acting weird, like she's putting on a show.
"We'll head to the academy at dawn tomorrow."
"Ah, figures. New faces, so I guessed you were going for the freshman exam. Thought otherwise for a sec."
"Yes."
"Makes sense. Phew. Be careful. That girl's grown-up enough that I could tell right away—if she were flat, I wouldn't have let you in even if there was a room."
"Of course."
I sign the ledger and pull out some prepped bills.
"Hey, young man."
"Yes."
"Your little sister needs some financial education. Even from the sticks, you don't just head up before paying. Tell her that."
"Got it. Thanks for the room tonight."
"Mm."
The innkeeper nods lightly at my greeting and points to the stairs.
"Oh, right. Still, be careful. Men and their urges..."
Up the stairs.
"Miss Unia. Were you acting just now?"
"Oppa, saying it like that..."
Either he didn't hear, or Unia's still in character.
"Hey, check this out for a sec?"
Before she climbs further, I point to a plaque on the stairwell wall.
"What kind of mark is this?"
"...Silverstar?"
"Right. Silverstar."
A silver-plated emblem in a frame. The mark those from the East call the "Silver Star."
"Proof this inn's part of the Silverstar Lodging Association. And managed by the Silverstar Merchant Group."
"Uh..."
"Better to act straight than put on a show. Your act's busted anyway. I already paid. So next time something like this happens, leave it to me."
"......Th-that."
Unia's face turns red.
"Back home..."
"I don't know about your hometown, Miss Unia, but the closer we get to the academy, the better I know the lay of the land. Room first?"
"...Yes."
Unia follows with her head down, and I climb to the room number on the key: 205.
Clunk.
The door opens. Like any fantasy inn, beds on either side—
"Ha."
Unia steps in and slumps in despair.
"Look..."
"One bed."
Tricky. Just one bed.
'Did he really mistake us for siblings?'
We both have blond hair, and she called me "oppa," but the innkeeper seems genuinely free of bias.
'Or we didn't seem awkward enough to be strangers. Or maybe a bit of awkwardness makes us look like a couple.'
Or pity for academy exam-takers. Either way, he accommodated us without knowing our deal, just because we're headed to the freshman exam.
We can't turn his kindness into something weird and put him in a spot.
"You rest in the room, Miss Unia. I'll stay outside..."
"What are you talking about?"
As I turn to leave, Unia pushes me back inside and shuts the door.
"Planning something weird?"
"Weird?"
"Th-that...!"
Unia blushes and raises both hands toward me.
"I don't know what you're thinking, but if you try anything weird, I won't let you off...!"
"No idea what 'weird' means here, but you're saying you'll sleep in the same room as a guy?"
"No choice. A-anyway, once we're in the academy together, dorm life might have us bunking like this sometimes."
Unia scratches her cheek and shoves me toward the bed.
"You must be tired. Let's sleep together. N-no, not the bed—I mean, pull the blanket down so I can sleep on the floor..."
"You take the bed, Miss Unia. What kind of guy makes a girl sleep on the floor and gets called names for it."
"Who'd call you names?"
"It happens."
I stash my bag against the wall and lay the bed's blanket on the floor like a mattress.
"We crash quick and head out at dawn, right?"
"Yes. Obviously."
"I'll wash up first? Or you want to go ahead? Might be more comfy for you."
"That's..."
"Miss Unia."
I stretch my hand between the bed and floor blanket, drawing a line like a sword slash.
"Cross this line, and I'll report you, Miss Unia."
"...Pfft!"
She covers her mouth at my exaggerated gesture. I drop my bag and head to the shower.
"......."
This isn't a night with a heroine. She's seventeen.
'Touch her before graduation, and it's the death penalty. Death.'
Not an adult, and I'm no pervert who thinks or acts creepy toward minors.
'Plus, doing that would doom the world.'
I don't want this world to end.
So.
Shhh.
In the bathroom shower booth, I turn on the water, strip, and let it run over me. My body's made of mana, but the clothes are real enough.
Oh, where'd I get the clothes? Train had a baggage car. Borrowed 'em for a bit.
'They'll understand.'
Saving the world from me? A set of clothes is a bargain.
* * *
Thud.
Unia flops onto the bed. Long walk tired her out, but today was insane.
Until morning, no big issues. Just a village girl—outwardly normal, anyway—turning seventeen, packing for the academy: her training magic engineering bow from home, some funds and clothes. That's it.
Up for Grandma's "mission," so she didn't have much.
And she realized she knew less than she thought.
Figure the magic train gets her to Esdinas, handle the rest as learned. But then that guy shows up, and everything goes haywire.
Red Sol Phoenix. No family name, but declares he'll make one. Or maybe "Sol Phoenix" exists, and he's faking commoner status?
What is he?
Unia eyes the shower suspiciously. Illusion magic with flames? Fine. But risking his life against Binyu Group and mana leeches like he has extras?
Acts like he knows something, steps up without fully committing, leads chats with her to help.
"What is he..."
Unia covers her forehead. Fatigue hits, but Phoenix clouds her judgment.
Even the entrance scene.
"......."
Whap whap whap.
She pounds the bed, covers her face again.
"Ughhh...!"
Her head heats up.
'Even a backwater inn—housing minors together?'
In her village, minors in an inn was illegal.
"'Sex-positive academy,' my ass..."
Sex-positive. Encourages student hookups. But officially strict on under-twenty management. Expels for shady stuff.
One girl got pregnant in year three, expelled before graduation.
Esdinas Academy watches till "right before graduation." But encourages "healthy, safe dating" after.
Maybe this is part of it. Seventeen-year-olds sharing an inn room? City norm?
Spending the night together at seventeen? Normal in the city; she's overreacting.
"......Scary, for real."
Unia sighs deeply.
"Can I even do this?"
She has a mission: meet the chosen one, save the world from doom.
Thinking it dizzies her—
Clunk.
Dull noise from the bathroom.
"!!"
Unia bolts up and rushes over.
"You okay?!"
Did he collapse? Panicking, she knocks the back of her hand on the door—just in case.
Knock knock.
"Huh?"
The door gives under her knuckles. Not locked—
"Ah, shoot."
Shower room. Through the cracked door.
"Forgot to lock it."
A guy with a towel on his head chuckles dryly while drying off.
"........"
Unia's gaze drops instinctively.
"Ah."
She sees it.
Enormous.
"Dragon."
Something.
First time seeing one. Way grander than book illustrations.