Ch.382Uninterruptible NPC. (3)

“L-Liar. Teleport? B-But I heard only the Dean in the entire continent can use it…”

“Hehe~! I learned it from my master. I can use it too. My master can go much farther, but if it’s right in front of me, I can do it too!”

Complete defeat. I had trained to my absolute limit, practicing until I could pierce a hole in a defense-enchanted training dummy with a single water cannon from a mid-level spirit. Yet she overwhelmed me with fire magic—the opposite of my water element—and not even with a fireball, but mere flame shots. Then she ended our duel by catching me from behind with a spell called teleport. Haha, so this is it. This is Ira’s true strength.

“…I lost completely. Truly, Ira, you’re incredibly strong.”

“Hehe, Latina has gotten much stronger too! If it were me before summer break at the Academy, I definitely couldn’t have won like this!”

“Yeah, I see.”

I lower my staff and recall my summoned spirit, accepting my defeat. I wanted to show Ira how much stronger I’d become, to prove I’d worked hard enough to stand by her side as a friend. But I was clearly outmatched. Well, even Grace said her skills were insufficient to remain by Ira’s side now. There was no reason I should win.

“…So, will you forgive me now?”

“…To be honest, I was never angry. I just felt so pathetic. I was too ashamed to face you. While you and Grace were worried about each other, I was just stuck at the Academy, unable to do anything, feeling like such a fool…”

I’m truly sorry.

Before I know it, I’m choking up again, my last words swallowed by sobs. This isn’t what I wanted—I should apologize properly, apologize for my behavior earlier, admit that everything was my fault. But tears are welling up again. Without realizing it, I bring my hands to my eyes, and then—

*Squeeze*

“…I’m sorry. Latina is an important friend, and I should have talked to you properly before leaving. It was my fault.”

“Hic… N-No, you were just worried about Grace, that’s why you… *sob*!”

As Ira embraces me, my tears burst forth again.

Nothing has changed since I was kidnapped. I re-entered the Academy wanting to be good to Ira, my benefactor’s younger sister, wanting to help her, and through her kindness, we became friends. But in the end, I couldn’t do anything for her, only receiving from her, and when both of them left, I still couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even think of following them or helping them, and after they disappeared, I just got scolded by the Class A professor, asking who I thought I was to worry about them. And yet…

[Latina, I—we—are too weak. If you truly want to remain Ira’s friend until the end, at the very least, you shouldn’t fear the fragments of magical power she casually releases. I’ve seen Ira’s full power. At first, I thought it was terrifying. Later, I regretted feeling that way, realizing it’s not an emotion one should harbor toward a friend. You understand what I mean, right? I hope you won’t have the same regrets. I consider you a friend too.]

When Grace finally returned, she told me Ira had stayed in the Empire to resolve imperial matters, and showed me half of the magical power she had gained. That day, I literally fainted upon seeing her magic. And then I finally understood. Even someone as strong as Grace felt fear after witnessing Ira’s full power. In other words, Ira was truly not someone who could remain as just my friend. I wasn’t worthy of being her friend. Once I realized that, I felt so… so pathetic about myself…

“…Hic, it’s my fault. It’s my fault for being weak, I shouldn’t feel ashamed like this. I’m sorry. Ira, I’m sorry…!!”

“No! Latina is not weak! You’ve grown tremendously in just half a year!! I’m sure my master would want you as a disciple now!! So…!”

“No!! *sob* This is all thanks to Grace’s help. But I…!!”

Grace helped me first, before anyone else. Because I wanted to remain Ira’s friend, because I wanted to shake off these feelings. That’s why I received help from Grace first.

[Ah, Latina, you should go back to the Academy now. There’s no point in continuing beyond this.]

The other children are still training with her. But only I… only I… *sob*!!

“Hic, I’m sorry! Ira, I’m sorry!! I’m just so pathetic…!!”

“No, you’re not!! Don’t cry!! Latina is not pathetic!! You’re my friend!! My friend is not pathetic!!”

My tears made Ira start crying too, and I turned to embrace her smaller head, sobbing messily as I poured out everything that had happened and all my thoughts. And Ira denied my words, saying no, that I was precious to her, crying along with me. Like a confession, I held Ira and cried for a long time, and when my tears finally began to subside—

“…I now understand what Miss Grace was talking about, but it seems she was insufficient in her explanation.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

The golem maid, Miss Gor, who had been watching us cry for quite some time, approached with an expressionless face, holding her forehead as if she had a headache, shaking her head as she began to speak. Huh? Grace was insufficient in her explanation?

“Miss Latina. The place where Miss Grace told you to stop and go back was a dungeon, correct?”

“Uh, y-yes…”

“What?! Dungeon?! You were training in a dungeon?!”

“…Haah, I told her. The day before she parted with Miss Grace, she asked, so I informed her of several dungeons.”

The weakest dungeon around here is about level 100 to 150, and she probably told you to go back and rest before moving to the next stage when she saw your skills weren’t improving there anymore. That’s what that id… Miss Grace meant.

After saying that, Miss Gor let out a big sigh as if truly exasperated, then looked at us and continued.

“Miss Latina. Both you and Lady Ira are covered in dirt. While there’s a place for Lady Ira to wash up, she has no change of clothes. You have clothes that would fit Lady Ira’s size, don’t you?”

“Uh, y-yes! I do! If we go to my quarters…”

“Lady Ira, you could continue talking here, but it’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t you wash up, change clothes, and continue your conversation with your dear friend over a meal? It seems you still have much to discuss.”

“Oh, is that okay?”

“Of course. I’ll report to the master.”

Since you seem to be good friends, you should properly resolve things through conversation. After saying that, Miss Gor spoke with a gentle smile unlike her cold demeanor earlier, and I nodded vigorously in agreement. I thought I heard something like, “Haah, do I have to explain everything about levels to this girl too?” in a voice close to a sigh. Levels? What’s that?

In the end, after brushing the dirt off each other’s clothes, we stood up and began walking hand in hand.

“By the way, Latina, you used to call her ‘Miss Grace,’ but now you just say ‘Grace’? And your way of speaking seems a bit different too.”

“Ah, yes. Grace told me to just call her Grace now. As for my speech… why? Did you not like it?”

Feeling a bit anxious about Ira asking something that probably should have been asked long ago, I questioned her, but Ira shook her head vigorously and smiled brightly.

“No! I like that the current Latina seems much more like herself than before!!”

“He-hehe. Is that so? Oh, but actually, there’s one thing I’ve been hiding from you too. I told Grace, but… are you curious?”

“Eh? What?! What have you been hiding?! Why did you only tell Grace?! I want to know too!!”

I was about to tell her right away that I’m actually two years older than you both, but I closed my mouth firmly. Hehe!

“I won’t tell you yet~ Since you hid going to the Empire from me. I’ll keep my secret too~”

“What?!! B-But I told you everything now! I apologized too! Tell me too!!”

“No way~ Not now, I’ll tell you later~ Maybe in half a year~”

“Nooo!!”

I can’t help but smile fondly at Ira, who’s holding my hand and shaking her head vigorously, acting cute because she wants to know. Surely, even if I tell her I’m two years older, Ira would still be herself and wouldn’t treat me like an idiot, but somehow, it doesn’t seem fun to have Ira call me “big sister,” so I shook my head in refusal.

“…That’s not fair. I told Latina everything.”

“Hehe. I’ll tell you after we wash up and eat. But you have to promise to still be my friend after I tell you, okay?”

“Yes! No matter what you say, Latina is my friend!”

“…Surely it’s not something as trivial as her age.”

“Huh? Miss Gor, what did you just say?”

“Nothing at all.”

When I thought I heard Miss Gor say something about age, I felt a pang of nervousness and asked, but she just kept walking, looking straight ahead as if nothing had happened. Hmm, surely not. There’s no reason Miss Gor would know my age, right? Huh? Right…?

*Squeeze*

“Hehe, Latina. Will you also tell me what Grace and the other Class A students are doing?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll tell you everything. About how Grace came back, and what incredible training our Class A and the talented Class B students are doing now, everything!”

As I guide her to my home, I sincerely respond to Ira, who seems excited about visiting my place, squeezing my hand and chattering about various things. And then…

‘From now on, I need to become stronger too.’

Someday, I want to confidently hold the hand that Ira is now holding. I want to become someone who can proudly say she is my friend and I am hers. More than wanting to be by her side because she’s my benefactor’s sister, this feeling has grown stronger—a secret I’m not yet ready to tell Ira.