Chapter 8: Another Promise
by fnovelpia
Emil’s Head Snapped Back
Malcolm only realized what had happened after his wooden sword struck Emil’s temple.
“Huh…?”
Time seemed to slow as he watched Emil’s body collapse.
Just moments ago, Malcolm had been consumed by a fiery mix of anger and frustration. But now, that fire extinguished in an instant.
BOOM!
As the weight of reality hit him, Emil’s airborne body crashed hard against the ground.
“E-Emil! Are you okay?!”
The instructor, who had been standing far away, rushed past Malcolm in panic.
And right behind him—
“Emil!!”
Marie, her face drained of color, came running.
“What…?”
Amidst the chaos, Malcolm’s mind echoed with confusion.
“How did Emil even get hit?”
Just a moment ago, Emil had been deflecting every attack flawlessly.
He had looked exhausted, but even so, he had blocked every single strike without fail.
His swordsmanship had been so sharp that even Malcolm—who had trained since childhood—was genuinely impressed.
That was why Malcolm had swung with full force.
Even if Emil managed to block it, the impact alone should’ve left a mark.
But—
At the very last moment, Emil’s precise defense had inexplicably crumbled.
And the strike landed clean on his head.
“Emil!! Emil!! Wake up!! Emil—!!”
“Damn it…! He’s bleeding… Everyone stay here! I’m taking him to the priest immediately!”
“Emil!!”
Before Malcolm could even process his thoughts, the instructor lifted Emil onto his back and sprinted away.
Marie’s frantic cries filled the training hall.
And then—
He met her eyes.
Marie stood frozen, staring at him.
A look Malcolm had never seen before.
“…M-Marie, this isn’t—”
Malcolm had known Marie for years.
But never—not once—had she ever looked at him like this.
For the first time, he saw her gaze at him with blame.
With resentment.
Marie, who had always been on his side—who had always looked at him with warmth.
For the first time, she saw him as an enemy.
Throb.
His chest ached.
It hurt more than any wound he had ever received.
The pain of being the one opposite of Marie.
***
“Ugh…”
I woke up to the familiar softness of a bed.
The first thing I saw was a ceiling I had seen too many times before.
The infirmary ceiling.
I had ended up here plenty of times in previous playthroughs—usually after getting beaten up by one of the protagonist characters.
“You’re awake?”
A voice spoke before I had even moved.
I turned my head toward the speaker.
“How long was I out?”
It was Lydia, the academy’s appointed priest for emergencies.
She glanced at me over the rim of her coffee cup, looking both amused and exasperated.
“Hah, the first thing you ask after nearly dying is ‘How long was I out?’ You talk like a seasoned mercenary. Or do you not remember anything?”
“No, I remember….”
“Nearly dying,” huh?
Of course, I had felt the danger the moment Malcolm’s strike landed.
But I wasn’t actually in a life-threatening situation.
I had allowed myself to take that hit—fully aware that Lydia was here to heal me.
Besides, after five playthroughs, my body knew what real death felt like.
But to Lydia, I probably just seemed like a reckless student.
“So, how long?”
“Hmm… Just over an hour, I think?”
Right as she answered—
Ding— Ding—
The academy’s bell rang, signaling the end of class.
“Hah, I’d say about 30 minutes of sleep, then. It’s lunchtime now. Do you want to rest longer?”
I thought for a moment before nodding.
“Alright, stay as long as you need. Your wounds are all healed.”
Lydia pulled the curtain around my bed, leaving me alone.
I lay back, staring at the ceiling.
…She should be coming soon.
The reason I hadn’t left yet was simple.
I was waiting.
Clatter.
The infirmary door opened.
“Oh? What is it?”
“U-Um! Is Emil okay?”
“Ah, a friend? He’s fine. He just woke up—come in.”
“…Yes!”
Just as expected, she was here.
A rustle of fabric—
Then, the curtain parted.
Marie stepped inside.
“Emil…”
“Marie? What’s wrong?”
Feigning surprise, I greeted her as if I hadn’t expected her to come.
***
Marie had spent the entire class fidgeting anxiously.
She hugged her knees, her face pale, trembling.
“Marie… Emil is going to be fine.”
Sierra, who had been her partner, tried to comfort her.
“B-But… Emil got hit in the head… What if something happens to him?”
By now, Marie didn’t even care if Sierra figured out her feelings.
She no longer had the energy to hide it.
She was too consumed with worry.
The only thought in her mind was that she needed to see Emil.
And then—
The instructor returned from the infirmary, announcing that Emil was safe.
Only then did Marie’s tense body relax.
But even so—
The urge to see him didn’t go away.
If anything, it only got stronger.
“Ahem… Well, since an incident happened today, we’ll end class early. Everyone, return to your classrooms until dismissal.”
That was all Marie needed to hear.
She didn’t hesitate.
She bolted out of the training hall.
“M-Marie!”
Malcolm’s voice called after her, but she didn’t turn back.
She didn’t care.
All she wanted was to see Emil.
To make sure—
To confirm with her own eyes that he was okay.
The image of him lying unconscious on the ground was still burned into her mind.
Ding— Ding—
The bell rang.
And almost immediately—
Clatter.
Marie arrived at the infirmary.
“…Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks to the priest, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief….”
Marie silently thanked Lydia in her heart.
Thanks to her, Emil was completely unharmed.
“But this is unexpected.”
“Huh? What is?”
At that moment, Emil smiled at her—a bit sheepishly.
“I just didn’t think… that you’d run all the way here for me.”
“Uh….”
Only then did Marie realize how she must have looked all this time.
‘I—I showed everything way too openly…!’
She felt the heat rushing to her face.
Her cheeks must be visibly flushed—so much so that even Emil would notice.
More than just the redness, her downcast eyes and trembling hands made it obvious that she was embarrassed.
‘What do I do…?’
As soon as she confirmed that Emil was safe and calmed her nerves, her previous dilemma resurfaced.
Emil and Sierra’s relationship.
Emil tilted his head at her silence.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
Marie glanced at him hesitantly.
What should she say?
—I was just worried about you?
—I came to apologize for what Malcolm did?
Both sounded strange.
The first made it seem like they were a couple, and the second made her sound like Malcolm’s guardian.
“Uh, well….”
“Yeah?”
After hesitating—
Marie decided.
“Emil… do you… like Sierra?”
Thump. Thump.
There was no turning back now.
‘Ugh… I feel like I’m going to lose my mind…!’
Marie forced herself to meet Emil’s gaze, her face burning red.
He had just said, “I didn’t expect you to come running like this.”
And in response—she had blurted out, “Do you like Sierra?”
It was practically a confession that she cared about him.
That realization made her even more nervous.
What if he says he doesn’t like me? What if he actually likes Sierra? What if he asks why I’m even asking?
Countless worries shot through her mind like arrows, piercing her heart.
Her back stiffened, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
But—
“Hah.”
Contrary to her tension—
“What are you even talking about? Sierra’s just a friend.”
Emil laughed lightly and answered without hesitation.
“…A friend?”
“Yeah. What else would she be?”
“R-Right.”
Relief washed over her.
Marie couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at her lips.
“Thank goodness….”
She felt even more at ease than when she first heard that Emil was safe.
And with that relief came a realization.
“But it’s lunchtime—aren’t you going to eat?”
“Huh? Oh… Yeah, I should go back and eat.”
“Then, since we’re here anyway, want to eat together?”
“What? Really?”
This wasn’t just simple concern.
‘As I thought…’
Thump. Thump.
As their conversation naturally flowed, Marie felt her heart pound.
She stared at Emil’s smiling face.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“…Right now? You should rest a bit more.”
“Nah, I’m really fine.”
She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She wanted to see that smile more.
From the moment she woke up to the moment she fell asleep.
If possible, even in her dreams.
Even now, in this moment.
Marie realized—she wanted to be with Emil.
‘As I thought… I…’
She could no longer ignore this feeling.
Even if it was her first time experiencing it, her heart was making it clear.
“I like Emil.”
It was different from the affection she had for her brother.
Different from the reliance she had on old friends.
It was something more—something precious.
Marie understood that now.
“Emil…!”
“Hm?”
As they walked down the hallway together, Marie suddenly stopped and called out to him.
She was scared.
But—
She couldn’t hold back this feeling any longer.
“Can you… tutor me one-on-one?”
“One-on-one tutoring?”
“Yeah! Separate from the study group…! I-I don’t mind the time! Just the two of us… alone…”
She had gathered her courage—but still, her words faltered toward the end.
Her once-confident gestures shrank, her fingers fidgeting.
She averted her gaze from Emil.
If he rejected her, she felt like she might cry.
And then—
“Sure. It’s for midterm prep, right? If it’s me, I’d be happy to help.”
Without hesitation, Emil agreed.
His gentle smile—
Thump.
Once again, Marie’s heart pounded.
“Thank you….”
She quickly hid her trembling emotions deep in her chest.
And with heartfelt warmth—she smiled back at Emil.
The anxiety and fear that had gripped her earlier slowly transformed into happiness.
“Alright, let’s go. Where should we eat?”
“Oh, the rooftop sounds nice… Do you think it’s open?”
“It should be. The school’s rooftop security is pretty lax.”
“Haha, true.”
As if nothing had changed, Marie walked beside Emil, chatting and laughing.
But in her heart, she made a new promise.
“If I get good grades on the midterm…”
It was separate from the promise she made to her brother.
“I’ll confess to Emil.”
With that newfound determination—
Marie walked beside Emil, her heart full of anticipation.
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