Ch.379Changed NPCs. (9)

The time returns to the morning of the day when Jack went on a date with Ray and carried out his plan.

“It’s the Academy~!”

“It is the Academy.”

Ira-nim and I, who left home first, arrive at the Academy entrance holding hands. As expected, there are noticeably fewer people than before. War, the fall of the Empire, and its dissolution. Surely, the children from the Empire must have all returned home in a panic by now?

Some may have lost their homes, some their noble houses, and some their families. But that’s the ‘Empire’s’ fault, not a problem for those of us who resolved this situation to worry about. Well.

‘Ragni didn’t seem to think that way, but that’s her business.’

She seems to feel her responsibility quite deeply and plans to continue handling Empire-related matters in Natie, but that’s that and this is this. She’s the Master’s woman, and as a companion, I’ll help if needed, but I feel no sympathy for the Empire. Of course, I’m merely a status window golem who wants to become the Master’s woman.

Lost in thought, I follow as Ira-nim leads me by the hand to her usual Class A lecture hall. Hmm, it’s empty.

“I wonder where everyone went?”

“…Shall I find them for you?”

“No! I want to find them myself~”

Well, even without using my status window detection, the current Ira-nim could easily find all her friends with mana detection. She just tilted her head curiously, as befitting her age, finding it interesting that the lecture hall was empty. I knew from the start she was just making conversation.

Ira-nim asked me for her staff, so I handed over the one I had kept inside my body. She moved her mana and immediately cast a detection spell. Oh, she’s covered the entire Academy.

“Eh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“…They’re not here. No one’s here except Latina.”

Wondering if they might just be outside the building, Ira-nim waved her staff to extend her mana waves to where we had taken the practical exam before, but she still couldn’t find any of her friends from Class A.

Hmm, let me try looking too. I was sure that girl, Grace, would come running out happily now that Ira-nim has returned… Huh? What is this?

The moment I sent out my status window to check for humans inside the Academy, I unconsciously let out an exclamation like Master would. No, how is this even…?

“Gore?”

“Ah, shall we go see the friend who remains?”

“Yes.”

Ira-nim, whose mood has considerably dampened since entering the Academy, walks ahead with small steps, and I follow while preparing for whatever might happen. Though the current Ira-nim and I together are not likely to face any serious threat, this is clearly an abnormal situation.

Following Ira-nim, who advances without getting lost once despite having been away from the Academy for a while, we reach the practice field where she took her Academy entrance exam. Hmm, as expected. This is definitely an abnormal situation.

-Creeak!

As Ira-nim pushes open the door to the practice field, which is several times larger than her, with her small arms.

-Whoooosh!!!

“…Eh?”

Ira-nim’s eyes widened in surprise as she flinched slightly, and I naturally stepped forward to protect her.

A massive water pillar and blue wind blades flying around—it looks like a dangerous scene of violence. Of course, since this is a practice field, it wouldn’t be strange to see students or professors practicing such skills, but.

-Crash!! Whoosh!! Bang!!!

[What on earth happened during these past six months?]

The wind blades flying into the huge practice target in the center of the field, and the tremendously rotating water pillar that pierces through that target, are all being caused by a single person—a ‘disaster.’ And when I last saw this human, they were definitely not capable of something like this.

“La, Latina?”

“Huh?!”

-Crash…!

A girl slightly taller than Ira-nim, with an ordinary face wearing glasses—a commoner girl called Latina, one of Ira-nim’s friends. She was controlling magic with a practice staff issued by the Academy, but upon hearing Ira-nim’s voice, she seemed startled and immediately dispelled her magic.

“…I, Ira?”

“Latina!”

-Tap tap tap!

Ira-nim left my side, smiling happily and immediately running toward her, reaching out her hand…

-Swoosh.

“…Ah?”

“……”

She tried to take her hand, but the girl called Latina avoided it. What’s this…?

“What are you doing here?”

“…Eh? What do you mean? I came to see Latina and my friends…”

“I see you’ve been well. Goodbye then.”

The girl, who until half a year ago would smile happily whenever she saw Ira-nim, cut her off coldly, making me doubt they were ever friends. She tucked her staff into her waistband and started heading toward the entrance where I was standing. Of course, when our eyes met, she immediately bowed her head in greeting, but without saying a word, she coldly tried to pass by…

-Step.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“…Pardon?”

I can’t just let this be. Right now, Ira-nim is genuinely confused, her purple eyes trembling intensely. Whatever this girl is thinking, I instinctively knew it wasn’t my place to let her pass. So I completely blocked her path.

“W-Where am I going? Training’s over, so I’m going to rest…”

“How strange. It’s still class time. There are still 20 minutes until break. Besides, I know there are no professors or students here. Or were you skipping class to play around?”

“What are you…! Oh? Come to think of it, Gore-ssi’s original voice was…?”

“That’s not what’s important. Let me ask again, where are you going?”

“……”

As she tries to divert the conversation in an unnecessary direction, I coldly look down at her, and she seems to forget that she was being cold herself just moments ago, startling and backing away. And when she’s retreated far enough, I immediately move my hand to close the practice field door. Now, the only way for her to leave is through me. And unfortunately, I have no intention of allowing that. At least.

“La, Latina? Are, are you angry? Um. Did, did I do something wrong?”

Unless she properly explains the current situation to Ira-nim, who is extending her trembling hands sadly, I have no intention of letting her leave. And after a proper explanation, if I understand her actions, I won’t care how she behaves afterward. Just.

‘This will be the last time you meet Ira-nim. Even if whatever misunderstanding or stubbornness is resolved through conversation, I won’t let you approach Ira-nim again.’

Master always said that the reason humans can speak is to communicate. Having something on your mind, suffering internally with something, is natural for intelligent creatures, but not talking about it to others isn’t natural—it’s just stupid stubbornness and prejudice.

And there are many cases where issues that could be resolved by talking to others end up causing trouble for everyone because someone insists on suffering alone. We’ve already experienced this once because of Ragni. I’m not a stupid enough status window to watch the same thing happen right in front of me.

“……”

“Ira-nim is asking you. Don’t want to answer?”

“…No.”

“…La, Latina…”

“I see. Then.”

-Boom!! Crack!!

“”?!!””

I lightly roll my foot, leaving my footprint on the practice field ground, and drag it to draw a line. The deeply carved ground clearly shows my current emotions, and I speak again.

“Cross this line. And from now on, forget that you were ever friends with Ira-nim. I will not forgive you if you ever acknowledge her again. I am neither stupid nor kind enough to allow someone who hurts my precious person to return to her side. Well then.”

-Click!

I sharply move my body aside with an audible sound and, like Master’s maid, hold my skirt and give a proper, courteous bow. Putting into this bow the meaning that it is the last greeting I will ever give her. And.

“Gore! No!! What are you saying?! La, Latin…!!”

“Ira-nim. I have been recognized by Master and the Headmaster as your guardian within the Academy. I haven’t said anything about Ira-nim making friends until now because I thought you were doing well and there was no need for me to intervene. But I have no intention of keeping someone who leaves and hurts you without even looking at your expression by Ira-nim’s side.”

This is the basics of acting coldly, if that’s what she wants. As if to show her, I recited my thoughts exactly as they were, without looking at either Latina’s or Ira-nim’s face, maintaining my bow.

I’m neither curious nor interested in what kind of feelings or thoughts this girl called Latina has to act in a way that hurts Ira-nim. But if she can make someone who was happily looking forward to meeting you all upon returning to the Academy after a long time make such an expression, then there’s no need for someone like you to remain a friend. That’s my judgment. I expressed such intention with my whole body, and.

“…Hic.”

‘As expected.’

I acted rashly and clumsily. And in response to the true ‘indifference’ that resulted from it, she seems surprised and starts to whimper.

It’s okay because she’s young. Kids grow up by fighting. That’s how friendships deepen. I know this as knowledge, but that has nothing to do with my current ‘feelings.’ My behavior, which says get out if you’re not going to resolve this here, has completely shattered her shallow stubbornness and actions.

“Please leave now. I hope to never see your face again.”

“Ugh…!”

“Gore!!”

-Tap tap tap!!

Seeing Latina now starting to shed tears, Ira-nim runs over and separates her from me with a stern face. Well then. Let’s drive the point home.

“Ira-nim, would you like to explain the current situation to Master yourself? Or should I do it?”

“B-Big brother has nothing to do with th…!”

“No. He has everything to do with it. If Master sees Ira-nim’s current expression, he will absolutely be furious. Moreover, if it’s because of someone you thought was a ‘friend,’ he will certainly take my side.”

“Ugh…!!”

Well. That is, if your expression is still in its current state by then, but I don’t mention that part.

Well, while Master doesn’t pay much attention to the feelings of women around him or to us, he notices things about Ira-nim before anyone else. Even if we can hide this matter for a while, it will all be revealed by tomorrow evening at the latest. After conveying such intention properly, Ira-nim quickly turns…

“La, Latina! Let’s, let’s talk! Okay? I did something wrong, right? Right?! I, I want to stay friends with Latina!!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

She grabs the girl’s shoulders with both hands and immediately conveys her sincere feelings. And in response to Ira-nim’s words, the girl who was trying to act cold until just now nods her head while shedding pearl-like tears.

[Hmph, little kid.]

Playing hard to get while hurting Ira-nim? Come back in 4,000 years.

I pulled up the corners of my mouth in satisfaction, knowing that I had made her understand this fact to the bone.