“It feels strange, maybe because it’s been a while since I’ve returned to the dormitory.”
While the noble lady was probably receiving comfortable treatment from a top-class personal doctor in her A-grade facility dorm room…
I, with no connections, money, or anything else, had to waste away my time in the academy’s infirmary which was an empty room with nothing but a bed.
TVs or computers weren’t even a thing here, so in times like these, I really missed the conveniences of modern civilization.
Of course, it was still better than attending class, so I didn’t mind much, and stepping out of that suffocating hospital room and returning to my own felt almost like coming home. It wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
“But seriously, a duke? That scared the hell out of me.”
While I was enjoying my legally sanctioned time off in the name of hospitalization, Duke Eus came to visit me.
At first, I thought he might be here to give me hell for knocking out his daughter by force, but thankfully, he said he came to hear a firsthand account of the incident for an accurate understanding since he was both the only witness’s father and directly involved in the matter.
I didn’t want to get deeply entangled with a duke family, and getting dragged around for showing off power sounded like a pain, so I gave all the credit to the lady and spent the entire conversation showering her with praise.
Fortunately, the Duke seemed pleased with all the compliments I laid on his daughter’s achievements and left without much suspicion.
He was already well aware of the magical talent his daughter possessed, so rather than questioning my testimony, he just gave me a smug “Well, of course, she’s my daughter!” kind of expression. It was absurd, but if that’s all it took to end things, I could easily put up with it.
Surprisingly, Pollo didn’t react much either.
Just as I was about to be discharged, Pollo came to find me, saying he had just heard the official stance on the incident. According to him, the academy announced that a mistake in the spell inscribed on the magic circle caused me and the noble lady to be forcibly teleported, and we just happened to run into a monster.
And with the official statement saying that the noble lady had defeated the monster by using up all her strength and was currently recovering, the students all united in praising her efforts.
Of course, for them too, the idea of the daughter of a noble family with innate magical talent using all her power to bring down a monster was far easier to believe than some far-fetched tale of a second son from a humble baron family swooping in like a hero to save her.
– What is it? What’s with that face?
– What do you mean? You’re the one who actually beat that thing, Mars.
Pollo’s expression, as he delivered the news, oddly got on my nerves, so I asked him about it. He replied as if it was only natural that I had defeated the monster.
He smiled brightly, saying that even though an accident had happened to me and the noble lady during the training, he hadn’t been too worried because I was there. I couldn’t tell whether I should feel proud or just dumbfounded at his words.
Thinking about it, Pollo had trained with me under Count Helios, the strongest warrior in the world and an “Aura Lord”. He was one of the few people who knew my true strength, so his reaction made sense. Still, hearing him say he wasn’t really worried left me with mixed feelings.
He was someone who had the awareness of a rock when it came to women, yet in times like these, he acted like he knew everything. Annoyed, I gave him a light flick on the forehead.
“I’ll borrow your notes to catch up on the classes I missed… and I should probably start figuring out the schedule for our next circle meeting, too.”
Knock knock—
Just as I was tidying up the room and thinking about what came next, someone knocked on the door.
“Pollo?”
The only people who would come to my room were Pollo or the dorm supervisor, so I opened the door without much thought.
“…Huh?”
“What are you doing? Move. Let me in.”
Standing at the door was none other than the noble lady herself. She was wearing her usual proud expression.
***
“What is this place? A doghouse? Why is it so cramped?”
Yes, people live here too.
Sure, it was probably a far cry from the rooms of princesses or dukes, but was the difference really that stark?
“Well, it was just a normal room until now. But since you’ve stepped in, I suppose it’s officially a doghouse.”
Haha, compared to your room, this must definitely seem like one, young lady!
“What…?”
“Ah.”
Annoyed by the noble lady’s bold question about whether this was a doghouse, I must have accidentally spoken my mind without realizing it.
The noble lady, having understood what I meant, shot me a sharp glare. But perhaps deciding to let it go, she let out a sigh and plopped down at the edge of my bed.
As I hesitated and tried to sit on the chair, she clicked her tongue and stopped me in my tracks.
I looked at her with a puzzled expression, wondering about her behavior.
Tilt—
Our noble lady gave a slight nod toward the floor in front of her.
What else could that mean? She was clearly telling me to sit on the floor.
I silently grumbled at her overbearing attitude and sat down on the floor. She soon began to explain why she had come all the way here.
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“You gave testimony, didn’t you? That I was the one who took down that chimera.”
Ah, so she came here to interrogate me about that after all.
In her memory, she had collapsed without doing any damage, so she must be wondering why I spread such a rumor.
Waking up to find herself suddenly turned into a hero, she came to ask me in person why I had said such a thing.
“Yes, I did.”
“Why did you lie in your testimony?”
“A lie? I only ever speak the truth.”
Still, I decided to stick to my story without shame.
After all, the most important party involved—her—had been unconscious at the time, and since I was the only witness, there was no evidence to contradict my claim.
“I clearly remember having burned through a ton of mana at the time, and you hit the back of my neck and knocked me out.”
“Me? Hitting you? Surely not~ I’d get sliced in half by the Duke if I did something like that.”
That part was actually true.
If the Duke’s obsessive nature I had seen firsthand was anything to go by, the moment he heard that, he would’ve torn me in half. Or maybe just flattened me into a pancake.
“In fact, right after you passed out from mana exhaustion, when the chimera charged at us, an incredible energy burst out from your body, and the whole atmosphere changed.”
“…Me?”
“Yes! Just like a hero out of mythology! Then you started murmuring something, and in an instant, you unleashed a powerful spell and sliced the chimera clean in half. Even now, just thinking about it gives me chills.”
She didn’t remember anything anyway, so what did it matter?
I exaggerated the rumor to the fullest and told it to her.
In truth, I was the one who stepped up and split the chimera in half, but wouldn’t it sound better to her if she believed she had some hidden power?
For some reason, even with my dazzling eloquence, the noble lady didn’t drop her suspicion right away and instead looked me over, scrutinizing every inch of my body.
When I felt her mana flowing over me as if she were inspecting my body, I briefly panicked, wondering if she’d sensed something. But fortunately, with my level of skill, I could completely hide my power. Unless she was at the level of a Lord, she wouldn’t be able to measure it.
Even the Duke who had reached the ranks of Archmage hadn’t noticed….there was no way the noble lady would.
“No matter how I look at it, your power is pathetic… Was I overreacting? Or maybe I really do have some kind of hidden potential?”
Nope, you don’t.
Also, I know you’re trying to speak quietly, but when you’re right in front of me like this, I can hear everything. Could you maybe try a little harder to keep your inner thoughts to yourself?
“So you’re saying I awakened some hidden power and saved you…. something like that?”
“That’s right! And besides, I even get paid as your love consultant, so why would I lie to you and risk my credibility?”
“Really? Hmmm…”
The noble lady wore a strange expression as if she suddenly remembered something. Then, with a bright smile, she came closer to me.
Though her face, lit with a smile, was undeniably beautiful, there was an eerie undertone I couldn’t quite place, and before I knew it, I instinctively stepped back.
“So, you’re saying I saved your life?”
“Uh… I-I guess?”
Huh? Why did the conversation feel like it was heading in a strange direction?
It wasn’t technically wrong, but the way she spoke made it feel like she was latching onto something, and an uneasy feeling crept in.
“Then that makes me your savior, doesn’t it? Since you said you weren’t the one who saved me, that’s only logical, right?”
“R-Right?”
“In that case, as someone who saved your life, I should be entitled to ask something of you, don’t you think?”
“Ah…!”
I was caught!
Owing her my life meant I now had an obligation to repay her.
She came towards me in an instant, flashed a bright smile and made a request—no, an order—I couldn’t refuse.
“Then make sure to set up a date between me and Pollo as soon as possible. You owe me your life, so this much is only fair, right?”
“…Understood.”
With a deep sigh I accepted her order and the noble lady walked back to her room with a bright smile on her face.
“…I’m screwed.”
I guess this is what it means to be caught in your own trap.
Now completely stuck with the task of arranging a date between the noble lady and Pollo, I could only turn my misfortune into a sigh.
***
(TN: The names of the main characters are made after mythical gods. So Pollo’s name is correct. It’s not Paul; it’s Pollo, like God Apollo.)
Leave a Reply