To be honest, even if I had to fight those first-years now, I’m confident I’d win.
Sure, I might be the weakest among the second- and third-years, but compared to an average person, I’m still in the upper ranks of strength.
But a mercenary?
One who had been through battlefield after battlefield and got recommended into the Cradle?
“I refuse!”
“What?!”
Honestly, I’m not confident.
“You have no sense of honor?”
“Sorry, but my injuries haven’t healed yet. I might look fine on the outside, but if you take a closer look…”
In my current state…
I unbuttoned a few buttons on my shirt to reveal my bandaged torso.
It looked like the wound had reopened again. The bandage was stained with blood.
“That looks like a minor wound.”
“You guys, be quiet for a second.”
Stop twisting things with your messed-up sense of normal, will you?
Logically, this is a serious injury!
“Or are you seriously saying that fighting with injuries like this is what honor means?”
“Ugh! I suppose… yes, asking someone to fight with a wound like that is…”
Good.
See how well that reasoning goes over? This is what common sense looks like.
“So I’d like you to wait until my injuries have fully healed before the duel.”
“Johan?”
Yuna, who had been watching with interest from the side, tilted her head.
Maybe she thought I was planning to run away for good.
But come on, like that would work.
Stalling for time won’t change anything if I don’t actually resolve the situation.
He’d just tell me to duel once I was fully healed.
One way or another, the duel was unavoidable.
The original plan was to give them a bit of a scare and then talk them down calmly, but that weird-haired mercenary barged in midway, so I had no choice.
“Until then, let’s all keep things civil, regardless of any bad blood or complaints, alright? Oh! You’re not such immature brats that you can’t wait a little, are you?”
“What did you just say?!”
“Yeah, and if you really can’t hold it in, my friend here will take you on. Isn’t that what you wanted? You said you wanted to see what a second-year could do.”
As the girl flared up again, I gave Yuna a little push on the back.
You’re screwed now. Do you even know how scary Yuna really is?
“Uh, me?”
“Of course. You’re part of Class D too, aren’t you?”
“And what are you going to do for me?”
“That’s not how friends treat each other.”
“I’ll put it on your tab.”
“……”
Just how long was she planning to keep tallying up that mysterious debt?
I didn’t know. Somehow, it’d work out.
I’d come too far to be worrying about things like that now.
Still, I figured we’d need to sit down and have a serious talk someday.
Whether I could persuade Yuna at that point… I wasn’t so sure.
In some ways, it might be harder than talking down Kult.
“It’s the beginning of the semester, right? Better to deal with bad feelings early on.”
If we didn’t resolve this rift now, it’d be a headache for everyone later.
And if the class ended up split in two, I wouldn’t belong to either side.
That’s why I had to put an end to it early.
“Alright then. Until my wounds heal… so about a week, give or take. Let’s set a date around then.”
I said, sneaking a glance at the inside of my shirt again.
“You think that wound will heal in a week…? I don’t know where your confidence comes from.”
“……”
Was that not normal?
Raven’s stunned reaction snapped me back to reality. Had I, without realizing it, started to adopt the Cradle’s way of thinking?
It scared me. What if I ended up becoming a butcher who thought killing someone was no big deal?
“Wouldn’t three days be enough?”
“I could go tomorrow, honestly.”
“Blood just regenerates anyway.”
“Right, right.”
Ah, I guess I wasn’t fully gone yet.
I was still relatively normal.
***
“That’s how it went.”
“You really go through a lot, Johan…”
That afternoon, I discussed what had happened in the morning with Ariel at the library.
Sure, I’d embellished the story here and there, but as long as I got across how unfair the whole thing was, that was enough.
“So you’re dueling in a week, right? Can I come watch?”
“If someone from Class S shows up to watch, it might draw too much attention.”
“Ugh… true. If we want to keep the engagement a secret…”
Ariel let out a deep sigh.
Still, watching her fidget like that was kind of cute.
“Oh! I could watch through a remote surveillance spell!”
Or… maybe not.
Suddenly, she didn’t seem cute at all.
Yuna, Emily….why are all the people around me such stalkers?
I just want a little privacy.
“What do you think? It’s a pretty clever idea, right?”
“…Let’s think about that one again later.”
“Ah, yeah, you’re right. We should get back to studying.”
Only then did we finally open our books.
Studying was always the same. Advanced illusion magic. I’d once thought about quitting after deciding to let go of Alice, but I chose to continue.
It wasn’t that I wanted to erase the past. I just to let go of my lingering feelings for her.
I didn’t want to waste the legacy she had left behind.
But there was something that had changed.
“What do you think Alice’s special ability was?”
“…I’m not sure. I still haven’t figured it out.”
I confided in Ariel about what I was trying to learn now.
She had every reason to be upset, but instead, she readily offered to help me.
“How could I tell you to forget Alice? In a way, I’m only alive thanks to her.”
“……”
“What do you think would’ve happened if Alice were still alive? She was definitely a troublemaker, but also so lovely…”
I turned my head to look in the direction she was staring.
“…Ah.”
There stood the Oracle who had apparently just picked up a book.
A suffocating moment.
Ariel didn’t know about the Oracle yet. She had asked me not to tell anyone.
Of course, I wasn’t obligated to keep her request.
But I had been dragged through hell recently just for running my mouth once.
That was why I hadn’t said a single word about her…
Thinking back on it, I had been foolish.
As long as she was attending the Cradle, it was inevitable they’d cross paths.
“What is…”
Just as the Oracle frowned at my startled expression and tried to speak—
Bang!
“……?”
Ariel suddenly stood up, slamming the desk. Her face was filled with confusion.
Well, that was to be expected. I had reacted the same way… why would she be any different?
Though, for some reason, her shock seemed even greater than mine had been. It was hard to explain, but it felt that way.
“Ah, I’m sorry… I’m really sorry. You just looked like someone I knew.”
“I-Is that so…?”
The Oracle clearly hadn’t anticipated this situation either. She looked flustered.
“May I ask your name, by any chance?”
“…My name is Alice.”
“……”
Ariel stared directly at me after hearing the Oracle’s name.
I couldn’t read her expression.
She didn’t even blink. She just kept looking straight at me. Somehow, I didn’t think the difficulty I felt breathing was just in my head.
“Ariel, please don’t misunderstand. I can explain everything.”
“Wait… Just wait. I’m too confused right now. Can you give me a moment?”
“No, really, it’s a misunderstanding.”
“I said give me a moment.”
“…Yes.”
A cold expression I had never seen before.
Ariel pressed a hand to her forehead.
Even when I had lied about Chris being dead, she hadn’t looked at me like that…
In the end, Ariel staggered out of the library.
I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. Maybe because I felt the same way she did… I just couldn’t.
“…What is going on?”
“……”
“Why is everyone treating me like this?”
“Haah…”
Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with the real Oracle.
Of course, you could say her life’s been one long string of misfortunes too.
“I don’t understand why people are being so rude to me.”
One thing was clear. Getting involved with her didn’t seem to lead to anything good.
***
Ariel returned about thirty minutes later.
She spoke with an expression that looked like she’d made up her mind.
“I’ve calmed down.”
“Shall we step outside for a bit? Maybe talk over a cup of tea.”
“Yes… But, um…”
Ariel glanced at the Oracle who was quietly reading next to me.
“I figured it’d be better if we talked together, so I asked her to stay.”
“I’d really rather not get involved with either of you.”
“If you’d run into Her Highness instead of us, your head might’ve exploded on the spot, and no one would’ve been surprised.”
“…Let’s talk.”
So, even the Oracle knew to be afraid of Lobelia.
Of course, it’s not like her head would actually explode. And even if something like that did happen, she’d probably escape using one of those bizarre methods like last time.
The only reason she agreed to talk must’ve been because she wanted an easier time at the Cradle.
And so, I took the Oracle and Ariel to a nearby café.
“Oh, you’re here? All three of you came? Puhihi, I figured as much.”
Yuna had already arrived and ordered tea for four.
This girl… her preparation is unreal.
She must’ve seen the Oracle entering the library, or maybe she caught sight of Ariel storming out.
Knowing how well she reads my every move, she must’ve anticipated I’d try to resolve things through conversation.
“Here, I even ordered dessert to go with the tea in advance.”
Classic Yuna. She was never one to miss out on something interesting. Honestly, she looked far too ready to enjoy this chaos.
“First of all, Ariel. This person is not the Alice we knew.”
“……”
“I was so shaken when I first saw her, I ran out too.”
“That’s right. I witnessed every part of that scene, Lady Ariel.”
For once, Yuna was taking my side.
Well, she does support me most of the time… but when it involves Ariel, she usually tries to drag me straight into the abyss.
I appreciated her backing me up this time. But knowing her, she had some hidden motive.
“And now, Or… ahem, Alice.”
“Yes, let’s talk. And please be especially mindful of how you address me.”
I couldn’t exactly call her Oracle in front of Ariel, so I had no choice but to use her name. But that didn’t make it any less uncomfortable.
“I hate to say it, but… you look just like my fiancée, who passed away when we were kids. Even your name is the same.”
“What a disgusting delusion.”
“No, seriously.”
“…Still disgusting.”
So no matter how you slice it, it’s disgusting to her.
Honestly, I get it. Just the Oracle’s existence was disgusting.
“As you can see, unlike the Alice we knew, this one has a nasty personality.”
“I can’t even imagine the kind of person who would project a dead fiancée onto someone and start slinging accusations.”
“And if you look closely, she’s not even as good-looking as the real Alice.”
“That’s just an insult. What’s wrong with how I look? I mean, I’m at least—”
The Oracle was about to snap back but then locked eyes with Yuna and Ariel.
“—decently average.”
Quick to adapt to the situation.
Then again, with those two as the standard, you can’t really argue.
“…So she really is just someone who happens to look like her?”
“I won’t lie, I had my doubts at first. But after talking with her, I’m convinced she’s a completely different person. So don’t get the wrong idea. We don’t even get along.”
“Isn’t it mostly your fault that the two of you don’t get along?”
“Can you shut up?”
“Being caught between a couple is exhausting. Seriously…”
Alice let out a sigh and started picking at her slice of cake irritably.
That seemed to ease Ariel’s expression a bit. Maybe the misunderstanding had cleared up.
“Hmm? Speaking of couples, that just reminded me… what exactly is your relationship?”
“…Exactly what it looks like. But don’t tell anyone else.”
Ariel leaned in and whispered softly into Alice’s ear.
Her demeanor seemed noticeably calmer now. Maybe her doubts had been eased.
Phew… one problem dealt with.
“So, what about the one over there?”
Just then, the Oracle pointed at Yuna and asked,
“Last time, I’m pretty sure they were…”
“It’s exactly what it looks like.”
“….…?”
Yuna smiled, Ariel’s face stiffened, and the Oracle’s eyes darted around.
Taking in the whole scene at once, I had to hold my breath.
“We’re in a relationship. Just like it looks.”
With Yuna’s final word sealing the deal, the situation plunged back into chaos.
“…Can I go home now?”
“Absolutely not.”
I grabbed the Oracle who was already trying to flee.
This mess started because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut… where do you think you’re going?
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