episode_0017

“!”

Elfelt’s eyes widened at the headmaster’s reply. And she quietly bit her lower lip.

“W-wait a minute. If what you just said is true…”

Arianna, who was listening to the story, raised her hand as if something had occurred to her,

“You’re saying the Student Council President is also someone from another world?”

She asked about the origin of the only ‘Chosen One’ currently existing at Duel Academy, Student Council President Kalcia.

“I cannot deny it.”

The headmaster did not deny it. It was practically an affirmation.

“However, it’s not something that would do any good to spread rumors about, nor would knowing more be beneficial, so I won’t tell you more. I hope both of you will keep what you heard today a secret.”

“Yes. I will never reveal what happened today.”

“Ah, yes! Me too! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything!”

Elfelt and Arianna promised silence. The headmaster nodded as if that was enough.

“Elfelt, Arianna. I hope you will assist Ryugisu diligently. His ability as a duelist has already been proven, but he likely still doesn’t know much about this world.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!!”

With straight backs and trembling voices filled with tension, the two replied.

“And… I suppose I must put the advice I just heard into practice immediately. Especially since the right person is already here.”

*

Leaving the headmaster’s office first, I was guided to my lodging by a maid with light brown skin who introduced herself as Maria (she said she was the Head of the Dormitory).

“This is the place.”

“Ohh…”

The place I was guided to was a rooftop room on top of the dormitory. It was a spacious room, perhaps twice the size of the studio apartment I used to live in.

“You can use the bookshelves and furniture as you please. I’ll bring you a new bed sheet by this evening.”

“Yeah. It’s much better than I expected.”

It seemed clean enough to live in, although it was a bit dirty with accumulated dust, suggesting no one had lived there for quite some time. The furniture was also adequate. Most importantly, I liked how spacious it was.

“It looks like it needs some cleaning. Work hard.”

Maria said, lightly wiping the dust off a bookshelf with her finger. I had expected a maid to do the cleaning, but sadly, it seemed she had no intention of doing so.

“And here, this is the campus map.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

“Ryugisu-nim is in the status of a special guest student, and you can freely use all facilities within the academy. If you use this card.”

Maria took out a campus map and a card that looked like a student ID and handed them to me. The student ID, which was issued so quickly, looked so identical to the card format of [Ophiciar] that it was as if I had been cursed to become a card myself.

“Also, when you leave, please be sure to use the left stairs.”

“Only the left stairs? Why?”

Maria stated firmly. Was it for a similar reason to not using the central entrance in elementary school? If so, I wanted to break the rule.

“The right stairs lead to the girls’ dormitory.”

“Understood. I’ll only use the left stairs for sure.”

I resolved never to set foot on the right stairs. I nearly became a pervert in an instant.

“Besides that, if there is anything that concerns you or anything you are curious about, I will listen.”

“I’d like to see the school’s history, world map, and things like that.”

“There are many in the library.”

“…When is lunchtime?”

“From 12:40 PM to 1:30 PM. I prefer to go and eat after the time is over. Sometimes I experience the misfortune of everything running out on days when something delicious is served.”

The most useful information I could get from Maria was about lunchtime. Although it is very important information.

“Then, I will be going now. If you have any discomforts in your life here, please feel free to come to the dorm manager’s office anytime.”

“Okay. But wait a moment.”

I stopped Maria as she was about to leave, and

“Do you like duels?”

I asked about what concerned me most of all.

“Hmph.”

Maria snorted and laughed lightly, then

“My joy in life is disciplining students who break dormitory rules through duels.”

She declared proudly.

Disciplining with duels, I can’t imagine it, but I’d like to experience it at least once.

“I look forward to it.”

“Even so, please follow the dormitory rules.”

After Maria left, I looked around the room again.

‘Is this my new home…? It’s not bad.’

I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but starting a new life is always exciting. I began cleaning the room.

*

Knock knock knock.

Just as I had finished cleaning to some extent, I heard a knocking sound.

“Ah, hello!!”

“It’s a good room. Excuse me for a moment.”

When I opened the door, there stood Arianna, looking nervous again, and Elfelt, with her arms crossed. I told them that the cleaning had just finished and there wasn’t much, and let them into the room.

“This is the first time in my life I’ve visited a man’s room… Ryugisu-nim seems to be taking many of my ‘firsts’.”

“Arianna. Let’s not say things that could be misunderstood by people around us.”

As I glanced at her, thinking she would be scolded by Elfelt,

“…Well, I’m not exactly different either.”

Elfelt muttered softly, touching the end of her roll-shaped hair. It seemed Elfelt was also getting used to Arianna’s strange remarks by now.

“Anyway, I’m really happy that we can live together here at Duel Academy. Once again, please take care of me from now on! If there’s anything you need help with or are curious about, please ask anything!”

“I might know the school rules and such better as the Head of the Disciplinary Committee. The headmaster told me to take good care of you. Please rely on me without hesitation.”

“Okay. Got it. You two are really reliable.”

The two promised me their full cooperation. It’s very reassuring, but even so, I wonder how it looks for me, who was an outsider until yesterday, to be accompanied by two women.

“Yes! Ah, but, well, that is…”

Arianna, who had replied energetically, hesitated a little, then

“If you’re not busy right now, and if it’s okay… could you take a look at my deck right away?”

She took out her deck from the space that appeared above her and held it out to me, asking carefully.

“Ah, okay. Your deck, you say…?”

What she was holding out was a deck, but the atmosphere was as if she was handing over a love letter, making me unnecessarily embarrassed.

“Do you have a duel that was arranged in a hurry or something?”

“It’s not that, but, well… After seeing your two duels today, how should I put it, I want to do it too. It felt like you two were in a different world, so I wanted to join in, to follow along…”

Arianna spoke in a small voice while holding out her deck, then

“I can’t stand not building a deck!”

She said something a duelist desperately wants to hear from a newbie. My heart started pounding in a different way.

“Okay. Got it. I’ll help you right away.”

“Yes! I’ll be counting on you!”

I received Arianna’s deck. But as I was about to start building it right away, Elfelt, who came with her, was on my mind, so I looked at her, and

“Hmm.”

Elfelt was frowning, resting her hand on her chin.

“…Uhhhhh.”

She groaned, pressing her eyebrows together even harder while her face turned red. Was she trying to find something angry to say?

“Huuuh… Ryugisu-nim.”

With me and Arianna watching, Elfelt sighed deeply and called me by my last name, adding ‘nim’.

“Yes.”

As I replied, tense, wondering if she was going to scold me seriously,

“In your world, receiving advice from others when building a deck isn’t a special thing, you said?”

A question slightly different from what I expected came.

“For example… It’s an ordinary act with no deep meaning, for example, like studying together, right? Building a deck together? Nothing special?”

“Well… you could say that.”

“I see.”

Elfelt sighed briefly again, trembling slightly, “Huuuh.”

“In that case, in that sense.”

“In that sense?”

“My deck too.”

And she stopped speaking again, swallowed, then

“I wish you would look at my deck too…!!”

She said in a creeping voice, with ears bright red, unable to meet my eyes.

For a moment, which felt like an eternity, silence hung in the air.

“…Elfelt senpai?”

Arianna called Elfelt in a low tone I had never heard before.

It was a call that implied, ‘You scolded me so much just now, but are you asking for a favor yourself? Really?’

“I-I asked about it several times earlier!! There’s no other meaning!! It’s just, well, how should I put it.”

Elfelt yelled at Arianna, then

“Arianna is building her deck with Ryugisu-nim, but I’d be building mine alone, so, well…”

Again, in a voice that grew smaller and smaller,

“That is.”

“That is?”

“It feels… quite lonely…”

She gave a slightly, overly cute answer.

“That’s enough!! I’m leaving!! I’ll build it myself!! Do whatever you want, building decks together or whatever!!”

And as if she couldn’t bear it any longer, she turned sharply and tried to leave my room, and

Clutch!

“Kyaah?!”

I grabbed her wrist.

“Alright.”

“A-Alright, what?! Wh-what is it?! What?! Huh?!”

I was certain I shouldn’t let her leave like this.

“Let’s do it together, the three of us.”

I was certain that if I didn’t hold Elfelt back now, she would never ask me to build a deck with her again.

“Th-th-th-the three of us?!”

“Yeah. Arianna, is that okay?”

My only concern was Arianna, but,

“…Yes. I think I can also learn by watching Elfelt-nim.”

Arianna accepted gracefully, though she seemed slightly dissatisfied.

“Wh-wh-wh-what are you going to learn by watching me?! What are you planning to do?! What sort of shameless act are you…”

“No, I mean, let’s build decks together, the three of us.”

When I said it clearly to Elfelt, who seemed to have misunderstood the conversation somehow,

“Ah.”

Elfelt turned bright red as if she had just realized something, and stiffened, then

“Aaaah…”

*Slump*

She groaned and crumpled as if the strength had left her legs,

“…Y-yes, please take care of me…”

She said, dripping sweat even though it wasn’t hot.

“Elfelt senpai…”

“Save me…”

…I really don’t understand teenagers. And I don’t want to.