I let out a long sigh that came up reflexively.
I’m already exhausted.
Even so, my feet didn’t stop moving.
I had to keep going. To avoid running into yet another person who might recognize my face.
With some effort, I stepped inside the building. A staff member who was likely a teacher was guiding students through the halls.
I too followed the flow of students and moved along as naturally as possible.
[B – 2]
By the time I arrived in front of my assigned classroom, tension crept back in.
…There’s no way they’d be here too, right?
Since this class was only randomly assigned before the entrance ceremony and subject selections, even in the game, my class placement had always been random.
In other words, I had no idea who I would be sharing this classroom with.
At worst, I could end up in yet another uncomfortable encounter. Just like earlier.
I took a deep breath and cautiously stepped inside.
Step.
Alright, looks like I don’t recognize any of—
– That’s her, isn’t it? Lady Seria… Wow.
– I can’t believe I’m in the same class as the Saintess. Am I dreaming?
– She’s really pretty…
I froze.
Whispers too loud to ignore filled the room.
When I glanced around, I noticed that most of the students were staring in the same direction.
Naturally, my gaze followed theirs.
“….…!”
Swish—!
I immediately averted my eyes and ducked into the crowd.
The heavens, indifferent as ever, had ignored my silent prayers.
First Riley… and now, another familiar face.
I quickly looked away, afraid our eyes would meet.
I hurried to the very back of the classroom before choosing a seat as far from her as possible.
At least it was some small relief that her seat was at the very front.
With so many students between us, as long as I stayed unnoticed, there would be no reason for our paths to cross.
…Though, in the end, she and I were bound to be entangled.
Still, it was far too soon for that to happen.
“…Haah.”
I let out a sigh which was almost a habit now and buried my head in my arms on the desk.
My mind naturally began to fill with stray thoughts, and, unsurprisingly, they all revolved around the familiar faces I had encountered today.
Riley… and Seria too. They look exactly like they did in the game.
Our first meetings in childhood had been completely different.
Because of that, finding them back then had been quite the struggle.
Thinking about those old days brought a bittersweet mix of emotions, both nostalgic and painful.
I lifted my head slightly and glanced toward the front.
Among the students with their various hair colors, one figure stood out.
Her hair was the same color as mine, but darker and deeper than midnight. It had an almost magnetic pull on the eye.
Like a flower perched atop a cliff, she sat alone, gazing quietly out the window.
…So, in the end, she really did become a Saintess.
In this world, which was the setting of the game, a being known as the Demon King existed.
Alongside the Heroes, divine beings also existed in this world.
Accordingly, those chosen as the “representatives” of such divine beings were known as Saints or Saintesses.
And the girl I was staring at now was exactly that.
Seria, the Moon Saintess.
Gods existed openly in this world. Many of them, in fact.
And even among them, there were hierarchies. Much like the ranking system for adventurers.
If one were to ask anyone who the highest-ranking gods were, the answer would always be the same. Two names immediately came to mind.
The Sun Goddess Iris, and the Moon Goddess Seora.
They were the very embodiments of the world’s laws, standing as opposing forces to one another.
The Sun Goddess governed light, life, and goodness.
The Moon Goddess governed darkness, death, and evil.
Even for a god, managing a single law was an immense burden. Yet they each bore the weight of three.
Naturally, they held the greatest influence within the Holy See, and among them, Seria who had been chosen by the Moon Goddess was especially famous.
In short, she was a celebrity.
Back in the day, the three of us used to play together outside the monastery.
She ended up succeeding in life. The complete opposite of me.
That was why it left a bitter taste.
In the game, her death had always been tied to that title of Saintess.
I had desperately wanted to prevent her from becoming one, but fate was never so easily overturned.
In the end, the bond between us had met a tragic end.
…I should stop staring.
The longer I looked, the more I felt nothing but a growing sense of gloom.
With some effort, I tore my gaze away from her.
Now wasn’t the time for these thoughts. I needed to focus on organizing my plans for the future.
Turning my head, I looked down at the pen and paper resting on my desk.
The same sheet of paper had been placed on the desks of the other students as well.
The faculty member from earlier had explained that it was a course selection form for choosing a primary field and subjects to study at the academy.
There were three main fields: Combat, Support, and Administration. They each branched into various specialized courses.
Students were required to choose one of the three, though they were free to enroll in subjects outside their chosen field.
Instead, students were required to take at least three courses related to their primary field, and exams in that field accounted for a hefty seventy percent of their total grade.
I idly rolled my pen between my fingers as I carefully examined the paper.
The first section was for the Administration field.
There’s no way I’m choosing Administration…
It was a field mostly chosen by nobles who were only here for the diploma.
Since most of the courses required a high level of prior study, commoners were practically nonexistent in this department.
The game hadn’t depicted this field in much detail, and naturally, it had little to do with the main storyline.
Considering my future plans, which involved running around all over the place, there was no reason for me to take any courses from this field, let alone choose it as my primary field.
Ah, I guess I do need to take at least one class from here.
With a few quick strokes, I checked a single box and moved on from Administration.
In the end, my real choice came down to two options.
Combat or Support…
After a brief moment of deliberation, I placed my pen over the Support field.
Honestly, given the courses I planned to take, Combat would have been the better choice. But the problem was the class assignments.
Once students selected their primary field, they would be placed into classes with others who had chosen the same field.
And most of the people I had ties with were in the Combat field.
If I ended up in the same class as them, it was painfully obvious what kind of trouble that would bring.
Alright, that’s settled. Now for the courses—
“Alright, the entrance ceremony preparations are complete! Everyone, let’s head out! Please submit your forms to me, and if you haven’t finished filling them out yet, hurry up!”
A middle-aged voice rang out from the front of the room. He was probably a professor.
I glanced at the crowd of students rushing out of the classroom and then quickly turned my attention back to my paper, hastening to finish my selections.
…Done!
At last, I was finished. I grabbed my paper and stood up—
Only to realize that most of the students had already left the classroom.
The problem was—
“…….”
“…….”
She hadn’t left yet.
And to make matters worse, our eyes met.
She had already spotted me some time ago and was staring at me without the slightest movement.
…I’m screwed.
Nothing was going my way.
.
.
.
.
.
We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
It was a short moment, yet it felt like an eternity, sending a cold sweat down my back.
Now, with only the two of us left in the classroom, silence settled between us.
Step.
And it was she who broke that silence first.
Step.
Step.
She walked toward me until she stood right in front of me and her pitch-black eyes locked onto mine.
Her face, expressionless like a hollow doll, gave off an eerie aura.
“…Ain. Been a while. Hello.”
Her distinctively halting voice slipped from her lips.
Hearing her voice for the first time in so long, I couldn’t bring myself to respond immediately.
She had been unable to speak properly since birth.
It was the same in the game’s tutorial, and when we first met at the monastery, it had been no different.
Her permanent disability made speaking a source of deep shame for her. It was something she never wanted others to hear.
After becoming a Saintess, she used divine power to substitute her voice.
In the game, she had never spoken aloud again after that.
That setting was likely still the same now.
So then, why was she speaking out loud now?
…Why does she look so sad?
Like Riley earlier, her eyes were filled with anger.
But beyond that, a far greater sadness was reaching me through her gaze.
I could barely bring myself to look at her. On the verge of tears as she was.
“Why. Won’t. You. Say. Anything…?”
“…….”
“I really, really wanted to see you. So. Why only now?”
Every word she spoke.
Each and every syllable stabbed into my chest like a dagger.
“Ain.”
“……..”
“…Ain!”
I remained silent.
“Why… Did. You. Leave. Back. Then? You. Said. You. Would. Stay. With. Me.”
“………”
“Why. Did. You. Abandon. Us? You. Liar.”
The girl who had always treated people like a lifeless doll in the game was now pouring out unexpected emotions.
But I couldn’t respond to any of it.
She was the Saintess of Seora, the Moon Goddess.
Her eyes, which could sense evil, could also distinguish lies.
Like Riley, she was someone for whom wearing a mask was nearly impossible.
Of all people, she was the last person I wanted to face at this moment.
“…Ain.”
She raised her hand and reached out to me.
I didn’t know what her intention was, but I knew I had to avoid any further contact.
“You two students over there! Haven’t finished writing yet? The entrance ceremony is about to start!”
“…Ah, yes! Understood!”
Just then, the professor’s well-timed call from outside gave me the perfect excuse to slip away.
And so, only the Saintess was left standing there alone.
“……..”
Srrk.
Seria slowly lowered the hand she had reached out to him and gently grasped it with the other.
As if asking him to stay.
As if pleading with him to listen to her.
To explain the incomprehensible cruelty of that day. To answer the lingering questions.
…But she still didn’t have the courage to say those words out loud.
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