Tane Academy was vast.
Located to the east of the capital, you only had to stray a little off the main paths to feel nature bloom all around you.
Of course, it wasn’t completely untouched by nature.
There were traces of human presence here and there like in benches and maintained paths. As if this level of refinement was required for a place to be called Tane.
“……”
Still, even if human hands had shaped it,
The fact remained that this place was secluded.
Slowly, I sat down on a bench.
My right hand from the back of the hand to each finger didn’t have a single intact spot. The reason the blood had poured out so much was probably because a larger vessel had been damaged.
“…Ugh!”
First, I removed the shards stuck inside. The bleeding seemed to have stopped to some extent, but with an injury like this, I should get it treated. If a tendon was damaged, it would be a big problem.
Still, being a little late for treatment wouldn’t kill me. This was a world with magic, after all.
If something went truly wrong, I could just replace it with a magical prosthetic hand or something.
“…So this is how it turned out.”
My heart felt weak.
Earlier, I even nearly cried. Maybe something originally belonging to Adel was affecting me as well.
…At this point?
I leaned back deeply against the bench.
The sky that had been at sunset had quickly darkened, and far away, faint stars were beginning to shine.
“…Haa.”
Thinking about it, I used to like Camilla quite a lot.
Not just after coming here since the days when I played the game.
Life had never been easy for me. As a child, there were so many things I couldn’t reach no matter how high I stood on my tiptoes.
So I thought that when I became an adult, I’d be someone who could do anything. But reality wasn’t like that. Once I did become an adult, my life had quietly turned into something where I was simply enduring each day.
My love for games had grown as an extension of that.
At the very least, when I was absorbed in a game, I could forget about all the complicated things.
Maybe a lot of people are similar to me.
Maybe it was something shared by everyone who liked games.
That was why I liked Camilla even more. A character who overcame neglect and disdain and ultimately achieved her goals.
No matter what happened, she never spoke negatively.
In any route of the game, Camilla’s resolve never broke. Even if she lost everything she’d worked for and died miserably fighting a demon, even if she was caught in political schemes and betrayed to her death…
Even if a demon tore off her arm, even if she fell into confusion because of a mis-control by the player—
Camilla did not break. The idea of her shedding tears was unthinkable.
Even if her noble silver hair grew dirty, its brilliance never faded.
“……”
The day I realized I’d become the “Madman Adel”, I was bewildered.
But at the same time, when I learned that I was also Camilla’s younger brother, I remember feeling… just a bit excited.
But.
I closed my eyes.
Those emotions—
It was time to let them go.
—Since reconciling with Camilla had become impossible, there was only one method left for my survival.
The one choice I never wanted to make.
It’s unfortunate, but this is as far as it goes.
I won’t make any more effort to mend our relationship.
If I don’t want to die…
A dull pain throbbed in my right hand.
Feeling that pain clearly drove home, once again, that all of this was reality.
I’ll have to kill her.
That was when—
“…Huaaaaaang!!”
Before I could dodge, someone suddenly threw themselves into my arms.
“Who—?! My hand, my hand!”
“Hhhuuuuaaahhh…!!!”
What the…. I couldn’t even see their face. All I could see was the crown of someone’s head rubbing against me. Blond hair. The only blond person I’d spoken to was Aaron. Definitely no girl.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I should’ve told you earlier… I’m so sorry… Uwaaahhh!!!”
“…Who are you?”
“Hhk, kuhuk… uuu…”
The face that finally looked up at me was utterly wrecked.
Her eyes and nose were red, like she was one step away from her nose running everywhere.
Since the dorm I lived in, Herein Hall, only collected laundry once a week and today was the day, she really shouldn’t get snot on me.
“……?”
“I-I’m… hhic… Awen… Awen Damir…”
“…Second-year. Damir… I see.”
It was a name I’d heard a few times while playing the game. Mentioned now and then as Aaron’s younger sister, if I recalled correctly. I gently pushed her off and said,
“I owe Senior Aaron a debt. So, what brings you here…?”
“Th-That…! When I saw your expression, Adele… Hh, uuuu… uwaaaah…!”
“…My expression?”
Ah. I see. She must’ve witnessed the commotion with Camilla.
I gave a bitter smile. Even in that moment, the girl named Awen was sobbing uncontrollably.
“Your hand…your hand, does it… not hurt?”
“…Yeah, it hurts.”
“Hhkk… hhuuu…”
Tears streaming down her face, she gently lifted my wrist.
“Let’s go to the infirmary. I’ll go with you. If you don’t get it treated soon…”
“….…”
She seemed like a kind person. Come to think of it, it made sense; she’s Aaron’s little sister. She must’ve grown up in a good environment.
“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“B-But, if you don’t go soon, it might get worse…”
“I don’t like the infirmary.”
Today has been… emotionally draining since morning. Sure, I’d probably feel fine again after sleeping it off, but at least for now, I wasn’t.
“The infirmary nurse doesn’t like me much, either. Probably just didn’t want to be associated with me.”
“───!!!!”
“Even when I was hospitalized, I could feel it. The look that said, ‘Can’t he just leave already?’ …Well, it makes sense. I’ve heard healing magic barely works on people who can’t use magic.”
“Wh-What do you mean…?”
Awen, as she’d introduced herself, had now sunk to the ground, silently crying.
“……”
Same with Aaron. Just how high is this family’s empathy level?
At this point, I didn’t care anymore and handed her a piece of clothing. If I left her alone, she looked like she’d cry out every drop of water in her body.
“Don’t cry.”
“…It’s your clothes.”
“It’s fine. I can wash them myself. I’ve done it plenty of times.”
“……!”
…Why? I was just talking about when I lived alone back in the modern world, so why is she crying harder now?
I tilted my head in confusion but decided to leave it be. Maybe staying quiet was the better choice.
That was when something was suddenly shoved in front of me.
“Ointment. Don’t you need it?”
“…Irina?”
“Here. You don’t have to return it. It’s a rare, custom-made salve.”
“Thanks.”
“Give me your hand. You’re too hurt to apply it yourself.”
“How bad could it be? I can just—?!”
I barely held back a scream. What the hell? Was that chili powder, not ointment?
“…Want me to apply it?”
“…Please do.”
***
“Going out after 8 p.m. is strictly prohibited.”
“C’mon, just this once. Please? Huh? Please, Alice?”
“…Haah. You’re unbelievable.”
“You’re letting me go, right? You are, right?”
“I know nothing. I just… looked away for a moment.”
“Yes!”
Awen beamed and grabbed my hand, pulling me along. We were standing in front of Tane’s main gate.
“How about that? Told you it’d work!”
“Yeah… I guess you did.”
It was one of those nights; you just couldn’t get through it without a drink. The kind of night where you spill everything to your older sister over a glass of something strong.
That’s how I ended up getting dragged along.
Originally, I’d only planned to keep her company for a bit. After all, it was a weekday, and I knew the curfew had already passed…
So you can just walk out through the front gate? I didn’t know that.
In the game, that is.
Of course, even on weekdays, there were ways to sneak out of the academy. It was Tane, after all. It was famous and ancient enough to have secret tunnels, at the very least.
But to think we could just stroll out through the front gate like this?
What is this? Don’t tell me she’s secretly got the maids wrapped around her finger or something?
If that were the case, maybe I should get on her good side. Not that I really believed it.
Irina, who had come with us, had already headed back. Drinking and sneaking out must have been too much of an adventure for her.
“No carriage, huh?”
“Well….horses need a break too, you know?”
Fair enough.
Even if we had managed to sneak out, it wasn’t like we could take a carriage. So Awen and I started walking toward the city center.
“…So that was you at the gym earlier.”
“Yup. And I guess you mistook me for that girl from before? Oh…was she your girlfriend?”
“No. And Irina is… never mind.”
“So, you do have a girlfriend?”
“…That’s a secret.”
“Aha.”
For some reason, she seemed to know a lot about me. As it turned out, Awen was close friends with Camilla. The way she casually trashed Camilla right in front of me….it had to be real friendship.
“….…”
But since I’d already decided to be on bad terms with Camilla, I’d probably end up falling out with Awen too. A shame, really.
Not long after, we arrived at a bar.
As Awen pushed open the door, I heard a familiar jingle.
“Ah! Welcome!”
And a familiar voice followed.
“A table for two? Then how about that cozy corner seat—?”
“…Sally?”
“Ah… A-Adel?!”
“Oh, nice seeing you outside.”
“Wh-Wh-What are you doing here…?!”
I just shrugged. Sally looked like she’d been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to, but I already knew about it anyway.
“I’m out without permission. What about you?”
“M-Me? I… uh…”
“?”
“…Secret part-time job?”
“I see. Then let’s just say we didn’t see each other.”
“Y-Yes!! Totally didn’t! I didn’t see anything, I don’t know anything!!”
With that, she quickly showed us to our table and vanished in a flash.
“Friend of yours?”
“Yeah, kind of… from the academy.”
“Hmm.”
As Awen smoothly placed our order, I took a sip of water first.
I didn’t know exactly how much alcohol Adel could handle, but one thing was clear. There was no way I could drink more than Awen. Which meant I needed to stay hydrated while I still could.
Then I happened to glance at the menu item she’d just ordered.
…A warning label?
Wait…no way. Is that the drink? The kind that only showed up in the game when you ordered ridiculously strong alcohol?
I swallowed hard, feeling suddenly tense. Just how high is her tolerance if she’s starting with that?
About 30 minutes later—
“Uhee… moooore… boooze…”
“……”
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I stared down at Awen, now sprawled out across the table.
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