Chapter 8: Champion hestia

I trudged along with a blank expression.

Right beside me, golden hair swayed and danced as if in delight.

‘……She seems to be in a good mood.’

Her face remained expressionless, showing no hint of it, but judging by the subtle, dancing aura of the Hero, she must have been incredibly pleased that I accepted her request.

Meanwhile, I was still dead tired from the aftereffects.

Most academy students are quite reluctant, fearing they might offend the Hero.

The Hero is also somewhat aware that students avoid her.

Because of this, she was looking for someone who was less conscious of her, and that’s how I, not the Regressor, caught her eye first.

‘Well, we are in the same class, so it can’t be helped.’

‘It was just a bit of bad luck.’

‘……Anyway, the Regressor abandoning the Hero was unexpected, but for now, I accepted the Hero’s request to have a meal together.’

I also don’t show it, but it’s true that I’m reluctant around her; it’s just that the fact she can perceive me through my power is burdensome.

Besides, this isn’t the first time this has happened.

In the first timeline, the Regressor also kept her distance from the Hero, just like other students, so the Hero, who was alone even then, approached me.

I felt sorry for her and became friendly with her.

Unlike the friendly Regressor, or the Holy Maiden who always had Yulia by her side, the Hero was truly alone.

As I recalled her life and slightly turned my head, my eyes met the Hero’s.

She came a little closer and carefully opened her mouth.

“Do you happen to have any other plans?”

“Yes, well… I’m always free.”

“……I see.”

She looked at me with a strange gaze as I answered without thinking.

‘Like she was looking at some pitiful child……’

‘Wait, I’m not a loner.’

‘Being always free is just because I’m comfortable being alone!’

‘Why are you looking at me like I’m one of your kind?!’

“That……!”

“What’s wrong?”

“……It’s nothing.”

I desperately wanted to correct her misunderstanding, but I decided to just keep quiet.

‘I don’t want to make a fool of myself by arguing……’

As I followed her into the restaurant, quite a few gazes turned our way.

As expected, being with the famous Hero, it was inevitable that attention would be drawn to us.

Just as the Hero was about to say something, with an apologetic expression.

I ignored the stares and went to a suitable table to sit down.

‘Anyway, even if I just stay quiet, most people won’t properly remember me, so there’s no need to care about others’ gazes.’

As I opened the menu and was choosing what to order, the Hero soon sat across from me.

She also quickly scanned the menu for a moment, then kept glancing at me.

So, I subtly closed the menu and asked her.

“Hmm, is there something you want to say?”

“No. It’s just… thank you.”

“……?”

“Ahem, I’ll pay for the food, so feel free to order anything.”

For some reason, the Hero seemed to be in a better mood than when we entered the restaurant.

Her face was expressionless, yet her emotions were very easy to read.

‘Should I call this honest, or simple-minded……’

I gave a slight smile to the Hero, who was waiting for me to decide on my order, and spoke.

“It’s fine, I’ll pay for my own.”

“No, I’ll pay, so please feel free to order……”

“There’s no need for that. I really dislike being in debt.”

“Even so……”

“If you insist, then you can pay today, Hero. I’ll pay next time.”

When I spoke firmly, the Hero’s eyes widened slightly.

“……Next time too……”

She mumbled softly, then called the waiter, saying she understood.

Perhaps she had been to this restaurant several times before, as the waiter took her order without batting an eye at seeing the Hero.

Soon the waiter left, and the Hero and I faced each other.

“……”

“……”

A slightly awkward atmosphere flowed between us.

As I pondered what to talk about while waiting for the food, the Hero spoke first.

“Have you gotten used to academy life?”

“Yes. As you know, Hero, there have been frequent incidents recently, which made me a bit uneasy, but it seems everything turned out well in the end, so I’m relieved.”

“Indeed, the atmosphere within the academy hasn’t been good lately.

Just the news from today said there was an issue with the barrier……”

Perhaps because of what I did, the Hero also seemed to be getting concerned about the academy’s security.

Since the busy academy director hasn’t properly addressed the barrier repairs yet, it will likely be noisy with security issues for a while.

“Will you continue to stay at the academy, Hero?”

“What do you mean by ‘continue’……?”

“I heard that the number of dropouts has increased recently.

With today’s news, there will be even more, so what will you do, Hero?”

Most of my questions were simply to keep the conversation going, compensating for the Hero’s disastrous social skills.

Of course, I generally knew what kind of answer I would hear from her.

‘I’m also… something similar to a Regressor, after all.’

“I think I will continue to stay at the academy.”

“Is there a specific reason you must stay?”

“Well… I enrolled on the Empire’s command, so I don’t have a choice until a different order is issued.”

As she said, the Hero operates under the Empire.

However, unlike the Holy Maiden who is bound by the Church, the Hero is allowed relatively free activities.

She can be seen as similar to a mercenary, but the difference is that the Hero acts directly under the Empire’s command.

Her enrollment in the academy was also due to an imperial command.

I don’t remember exactly when, but I once looked into why the Empire issued such a command.

‘What was it? Something about the Hero needing to enjoy her youth……’

Anyway, unless the Empire changes its mind, the Hero will not drop out of the academy.

“I’ll also continue to stay at the academy, so it seems we’ll see each other often from now on, Hero.”

“H-hm. I suppose so… You can speak more comfortably.”

“Then, shall I call you by your name, more comfortably?”

The Hero nodded.

“Yes, my name is fine too.”

“Then, Lady Hestia?”

For a moment, Hestia’s lips seemed to curve up slightly, but ‘that must have been my imagination, right…?’

After I started calling the Hero by her name, Hestia and I chatted comfortably until the food arrived.

I don’t know if she liked my conversational style, which involved asking and answering questions appropriately to keep the conversation flowing.

Hestia was still expressionless, but the atmosphere wasn’t bad, so it seemed alright.

I plan to continue spending time with her like this until the Regressor approaches Hestia.

I don’t know how long it will last, but just having meals with me will likely prevent Hestia from feeling lonely for a while.

I subtly smiled, looking first at the staff bringing the food, then at Hestia, who seemed eager to talk about something.

****

When did it start?

Hestia realized that people around her were subtly avoiding her.

Even after spending a considerable amount of time at the academy, there was still no friend who wanted to sit with her or have a meal with her.

She wasn’t particularly hurt by it.

Even before enrolling in the academy on the Empire’s command, she had fully felt the weight of the title ‘Hero’.

She naturally knew that it would be difficult to make friends normally.

Nevertheless, feeling a little lonely… was unavoidable.

So, Hestia decided to approach those around her first.

After all, she thought the atmosphere wasn’t bad when she first greeted her classmates in the classroom.

And it didn’t take long for her to realize that was a misconception.

‘What? Lunch with me? Uh, well, I have something busy today……’

‘Is that so? That can’t be helped.’

‘Ahaha! I’m sorry, Hero… Then, I’ll be going now……!’

Whenever Hestia tried to approach, everyone quickly avoided her.

Right.

If it had only happened once or twice, she would have thought it was just bad timing.

However, as these conversations repeated many times, she couldn’t help but know the truth now.

Only then did what was previously unseen begin to appear in Hestia’s eyes.

Everyone was looking at her with eyes that showed burden.

If she spoke to them, they would fidget, wondering if they had made a mistake, and if she asked for something, their eyes would shake violently.

She was not being welcomed.

From then on, Hestia half-gave up.

In a way, it was fortunate that she could understand others just by the look in their eyes, without having to propose lunch to each person.

Because from now on, she wouldn’t have to put unnecessary pressure on those who didn’t welcome her.

Having stopped talking to others, she increasingly walked the path of a loner.

Then one day, as Hestia was spending time alone as usual, a man caught her eye.

Black hair and black eyes, utterly unremarkable.

For some reason, his face was that of an [ordinary] man that didn’t quite register in her mind.

Since the Hero had little interest even in the Holy Maiden who was in the same class, she wouldn’t normally have taken an interest in him.

But a short while later, when Hestia saw him eating lunch alone, just like her, a small interest sparked within her.

For some time after that, Hestia observed him little by little.

And indeed, she realized that he too was a loner, just like her.

As her interest grew, the time she spent observing him gradually lengthened.

Then one moment, the day Hestia and his eyes met.

She immediately realized that he could be her friend.

His eyes were still calm, and his gaze showed no interest whatsoever in Hestia, the Hero.

That caught her eye.

As soon as lunchtime arrived, Hestia immediately approached him.

“Hello.”

“……Yes, hello.”

“Do you happen to have time during lunch break?”

It was a proposal she had made many times before, but it was the first time she had brought it up to him.

Hestia waited for his answer with a slightly trembling heart…

“……Yes, would you like to eat together?”

Finally, for the very first time, she succeeded in getting someone’s acceptance.

After that, the lunch she had with him was truly satisfying for her.

He kept the conversation flowing, compensating for her lack of eloquence, and he also granted her request to be called by her name instead of ‘Hero’ without much ado.

What was best of all was……

The fact that he completely ignored the gazes of other people.

When she, the Hero, was with someone, it was natural for the gazes of those around them to gather.

However, he lightly brushed off those gazes as if he didn’t notice them.

‘Perhaps… he was being considerate of me.’

He probably showed consideration, hoping Hestia would be less conscious of her surroundings.

‘What a warm-hearted person.’

Hestia looked at him, quietly eating across from her, and replayed the words he had spoken before the food arrived.

‘If you insist, then you can pay today, Hero. I’ll pay next time.’

“Next time too……”

Her lips, as she softly mumbled, were slightly curved upwards.